


On My Way

by StarXxCrossed



Category: Glee
Genre: Car Accident, Drama, F/F, High School, Romance, Season 3, new directions - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-07
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-07 05:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/427152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarXxCrossed/pseuds/StarXxCrossed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rachel and Quinn always had feelings for each other, but knew they could never be. Before Rachel has the chance to say I do, news is heard of Quinn being in a car accident. The story of how Rachel copes with the accident and her feelings for Quinn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“Going to the chapel and we’re gonna get married”_

“Face it, Quinn’s not coming”

“She said she be here okay. I don’t want to start without her.”

“Rachel we got to go right now or we’re going to lose our slot”

“Can we please wait a couple more minutes for Quinn? Please.”

“It’s now or never.”

She couldn’t even look him straight in the eye. This was the man who she was going to marry, the man she was going to spend her life with, and he couldn’t even spare a few minutes. They had their whole lives ahead of them, what was the rush? It wouldn’t be the same without Quinn. In what seemed like no time at all, Quinn had become one of her closest friends. Never in a million years would future Broadway star Rachel Berry dream of the day where HBIC, Quinn Fabray, would befriend the young starlet.

But where was Quinn now? She said she would be here and Rachel believed she would be; she just needed a few more minutes. Rachel was there in the hall with Quinn after Regionals. Quinn was wearing her old cheerleading uniform and wearing the most adorable smile that Rachel had even seen. A smile that she had saw regularly. A smile that felt like it was saved for her.

“Hey, how do I look? Coach Sylvester gave it to me early and I couldn’t resist.”

Rachel looked at the ground and couldn’t help the smile that fell upon her lips. She wanted to tell Quinn that she look great, amazing. She wanted to reinstate to Quinn that she was the prettiest girl that she had ever met, but she couldn’t do that. Not now. Now she had Finn, a wedding, her future. Her future that was finally so solid and so sure and she couldn’t have anything ruin that. Not even Quinn. Quinn was the one person who could change Rachel’s whole world around and that just could not happen. So with her best acting, Rachel looked up into Quinn’s hazel eyes and said, “Well I’m glad you’re happy. Everyone deserves to be happy.”

“When you were singing that song, you were singing it to Finn and only Finn....right?”

Rachel never expected those words to fall from Quinn’s mouth in that moment, _to Finn and only Finn...right?_ What was Rachel to say, no? She was not singing that song to her future husband but a part of her was singing to Quinn. There is a part of her that holds all these feelings towards the blonde, but it is feelings that she could never act on.

 Quinn was her only true friend, even though she had Kurt and Mercedes, they weren’t Quinn. Kurt and Mercedes were always there, but she never felt worthy to have them as friends. She felt that their relationship was more a bond between divas than actual friendship. The three had often withheld information from each other, or went behind each other’s backs, but that was never the case with Quinn. From the start, even in her HIBC days, Quinn was always 100% honest with Rachel. She never held back to spare her feelings, and she admired that in Quinn. Not even Finn, her future husband, was that honest with her. His honesty usually was used to intentionally hurt Rachel, where Quinn’s was used to aid Rachel in the long run.

It was in those moments of honesty, no matter the point in their friendship, where Rachel began to develop these feelings for Quinn. Feelings she was sure that Quinn shared as well, but they both knew they couldn’t act on them. If they were to do that, they were just going to hold each other back. Quinn had even said herself “you can’t change your past, but you can let go and start your future.”

And that is what Rachel was going to do. She was going to ignore all of her feelings for the blonde. She was going to marry Finn, move to New York and start her career on Broadway. She was going to grow old with Finn, have a few children, and live a normal and moderately happy life.

So she looked into those haunting hazel orbs and lost all ability to speak. She could only subtly shake her head in response to Quinn. They both knew they wanted more from each other, but they also knew they were both destined for greater things.

“He really does make you so happy.” Rachel couldn’t ignore the subtle sadness that was laced in her tone but forced a smile at the mention of Finn. “I want to support you Rachel....and Finn, and come to the wedding, if it’s not too late?” Rachel could see the tears forming in Quinn’s eyes at the realization that she had lost her chance with the girl she loved. However, Rachel had to admire Quinn, even though Rachel could see that it pained Quinn to let her go, she was still willing to do so. She was willing to support Rachel no matter what as long as she was happy in the end.

Rachel let out a laugh all while trying not to burst into tears. Rachel reached out for Quinn and embraced her in a hug. She could hear Quinn’s intake of air before she fully hugged her. She could feel Quinn slightly tense at the contact, but she soon relaxed the longer they embraced. The breath that Quinn was holding was slowly released into Rachel’s hair. She could feel Quinn’s sad smile against her cheek, but Rachel had to ignore it. If she let Quinn get under her skin now, she would never be able to walk down that aisle with Finn.

The embrace between the two felt all too familiar. This same feeling was felt in the hug at the announcement of Quinn getting into Yale. The feeling that everything is changing, though seemingly for the better, the two couldn’t help but dawn on the fact that it was changing them; their friendship. Any chance that the two had of being together was slowly being swept away. They were meant to move on, they were meant for better, they were meant to get out of Lima and never look back. Though there they stood, both times, it the embrace of one another wishing they never had to let go. The reality is they had to. Rachel had Finn and Broadway, and Quinn had Yale.

_Gee I really love you, and we’re gonna get married_

Rachel turned away from Finn in one last effort to reach out for Quinn. She couldn’t walk down that aisle without her by her side, if not as her own bride, the least she could be is a bridesmaid.

_WHERE ARE YOU-R_

Rachel waited patiently for Quinn to reply all while getting annoyed looks from everyone in the room. Kurt was to the side of her and she could see the annoyed expression on his face as he lazily twirled his flower bouquet. She knew that he did not approve of this marriage, much like Quinn, but the difference was he was here and Quinn wasn’t. She couldn’t even muster up the courage to look at Finn. She knew if she did, she would be met with not only annoyance but also slight heartbreak.

Finn was always suspicious of her and Quinn’s relationship. He always felt that is was never true, that one day Rachel was going to get her by her. He never trusted Quinn and always felt like she could never change.

They truth is, Finn had caused her more heartbreak than Quinn had ever did. He never stood up for her, he always knocked her down and made her feel less important, and he always put his needs before hers. She remembered the discussion that she had with Finn in relation to senior year.

She remembered the conversation she had with Finn after nationals; the conversation about the kiss that destroyed their chance at winning national and also about their relationship.

“What were you feeling in that moment?”

“That I loved you...and that I would have done or given anything to kiss you one more time.”

Rachel looked at Finn with a weary expression, having a feeling that this conversation was not going to the go the way she hopefully intended. Rachel was hoping that Finn would just let it all go, just let her be. She could leave Lima with no regrets and nothing to hold her back; that thing holding her back being Finn.

“So you did. You gave it all up for one kiss.” She really wanted to let him down easy. It was not that she never loved the boy, because she did at one time, but she didn’t feel that way anymore. Quinn was right, Rachel was leaving and going to Broadway and she didn’t want to keep Finn hanging on to something that could never happen. “Was it worth it? ”

“Yeah. What about you? Was it worth it for you?”

“You have to know that I’m leaving Finn. I’m going to New York and I’m never coming back.”

“Graduation’s a year away. Got any plans till then?”

That was all it was supposed to be. One year. One short lived relationship with Finn before she packed her bags and headed off to NYADA with Kurt. Once graduation hit, Finn would stay in Lima and work at Burt’s garage and Rachel would live her dreams on Broadway.

Now here she stands, so soon after regionals, in a wedding dress about the walk down the aisle with Finn. At this point she wasn’t waiting for Quinn because she needed her best friend; she needed Quinn to stop the wedding. She needed Quinn to barge in and confess her love for Rachel, or to at least stop Rachel from making the biggest mistake of her life.

ON MY WAY-Q

That was the last message that Rachel received from Quinn. She waited for 15 more minutes and Quinn never showed. She grabbed Finn arm and began heading towards the room saved for their ceremony. Just before they were about to get to the “I dos”, Rachel’s phone rang out. Seeing that it was Quinn’s number she picked it up a quick as possible. In a frantic voice Rachel said, “Quinn where are you? You said that you were on your way.”

A voice appeared on the other line that was not Quinn’s; it was a man’s voice to be exact. To say Rachel was confused was an understatement.

“Hello may I ask who is speaking,” the low voice mutter on the other end of the line.

“This is Rachel Berry. May I ask who is speaking?”

“This is officer Thomas, your friend Quinn has been in a terrible accident involving a pickup truck. She is being rushed to Lima medical as we speak.”

“Is she okay? God please tell me she’s okay.” Rachel could feel the hot tears streaming down her face, but at this moment, she couldn’t have cared less.

“Her current state is not known, but she was not responsive at the scene. The doctors at Lima medical would have better knowledge of her current state.”

Rachel dropped the phone and fell to the ground and broke into a gut wrenching sob. Finn came to her side an attempted to hold her in his arms, and she felt too weak to refuse him.

“Rachel, what’s going on? Where’s Quinn?” It took every last ounce of strength Rachel had to muster up a response for her friends and family.

“She’s been in an accident, and I don’t know if she’s going to be okay”


	2. You Can't Break the Trinity

_“Rachel, what’s going on? Where’s Quinn?” It took every last ounce of strength Rachel had to muster up a response for her friends and family._

_“She’s been in an accident, and I don’t know if she’s going to be okay.”_

The walls of the room felt as if they were closing in. Santana stared at Rachel for a mere moment before she had to turn away. She had never seen anyone so broken, so in pain. Santana’s eyes fell upon Brittany and it took every ounce of her being to stop the tears that were stinging her eyes. Brittany never looked so lost, so empty. Santana just reached over and held the tall blonde for what felt like a lifetime. Slowly the realization was hitting the Latina _that was Quinn who got in the accident, the third member of the Unholy Trinity, my best friend_.

Santana gripped tighter to Brittany as she tried to hide the tears that were rapidly streaming down her face. She needed to be the strong one, the one to keep it all together. She held onto Brittany and waited for her tears to slow before pulling away to look at her girlfriend. Her blue eyes had pooled with an abundance of tears and the whites were beginning to go red. Santana used the pads of her thumbs to wipe the rapidly falling tears from the blonde’s face before kissing each cheek. It was then that she turned around to once again look at Rachel.

Rachel sat completely still, almost frozen, wrapped in Finn’s arms. She had seemed to run out of tears, but she looked so distant, so lost. She looked as if she was in a whole other world. Looking at the broken diva forced the Latina to fight off another wave of tears.

Santana was fully aware of the relationship between Rachel and Quinn, whether they realized it or not. Even in the early stages of relationship, Santana could tell that Quinn had a soft spot for Rachel. When it came to the slushy facials, in which Rachel had received almost on a daily basis in freshman year, Quinn was never the one to throw them at her, nor be the one to order Rachel to get hit. Quinn would always laugh with the rest of the cheerios, but Santana always noticed a sadness in her eyes as she did so.

From then on Santana had tried on many occasions to get the shorter blonde to admit her feelings for the hobbit. It wasn’t until the night that Quinn realized she was pregnant.

_Santana heard her cell phone ring as she emerged from the bathroom from just having a shower after cheerios practice. She looked down at the display only to notice it was Quinn who was calling. The two sort of had a falling out once the blonde had become the captain, as well as leaked the news of Santana’s boob job, but at the end of the day, they were each other’s best friend._

_The Latina answered her cell on the second ring, trying not to seem too desperate to answer Quinn’s call. “What is it Fabray? I have plans with Brittany tonight.” Santana waited for a snarky remark but it never came. As she listened more intently she could hear the blonde sobbing on the other end of the line. “Hey Quinn, are you okay?”_

_It was one simple phrase but it was all that Santana needed to hear “I need you.”_

_Santana quickly threw on some cheerios sweats and shot a text to Brittany saying that she couldn’t hang out tonight and that she would explain later. She grabbed her car keys and jumped into her black Range Rover and drove over to Quinn’s as fast as possible. Thankfully Lima was a small town and you were only usually 10 to 15 minutes away from where you needed to go._

_Santana pulled into the Fabray’s driveway and was thankful that both of Quinn’s parents did not seem to be home. She quickly exited her car and ran to the porch to knock on the wooden door to the large home. Before she could knock Quinn had opened the door with tear stained cheeks._

_“What the fuck Fabray? What the hell happened?” It was rare for Santana to see Quinn crying. Once she had resumed the role of HBIC, she rarely showed any human emotion. This however was Lucy, not head cheerio Quinn, but lost and alone Lucy Fabray. It was a sight that Santana had never wanted to see again, and yet here she stood in front of the Latina, her walls completely down and she was completely vulnerable._

_“Can you come in? I don’t think this is the kind of discussion to have on my front porch. You seem to forget I have nosy neighbours.”_

_The Latina followed Quinn to her bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She looked at Quinn who was currently pacing her bedroom floor, clearly thinking of a way to tell Santana this important news. Santana was usually a harsh person at nature, but she knew now was not the time to joke. She may have been a bitch but there was always a time and a place for it._

_“You know Quinn, I love you, but eventually you have to tell me what’s going on in that pretty blonde head of yours.”_

_It was at this moment that the Latina could see the tears fall from Quinn’s eyes. She stood up from the bed and wrapped her arms securely around her best friend. She could feel Quinn’s tears staining her sweat shirt but she could have cared less at that moment. She held on as tight as she possibly could and let Quinn sob into her shoulder. They stood like that for what felt like hours before the Latina tried once again to speak._

_“Hey what’s going on baby girl? You know you can tell me right?” almost immediately after she had said this, Quinn blurted out the reason the Latina was there._

_“I’m pregnant”_

_Santana led Quinn to her bed and they both laid down. Santana put her arms around Quinn and let the blonde once again sob into her shoulder. She held her there until the Latina felt that the blonde’s tears had somewhat subsided. She placed a feather light kiss to Quinn’s forehead before she started to speak._

_“Does anyone else know?”_

_“No, just you, so please don’t tell anyone.”_

_“I may be a bitch Quinn, but I wouldn’t do that to you. No matter how much I act like I hate you, you and I both know that besides Brittany, your all I got.”_

_The blonde seemed to take comfort in the knowledge that the Latina loved her and cared for her. They laid there for a few more moments, basking in a small perfect moment before the reality of Quinn’s pregnancy truly struck._

_“Who’s the father?”_

_The Latina had to ask. She knew that Quinn was dating Finn at the time, but she just couldn’t believe that Finnocence had the ability to impregnate anyone._

_“It’s....it’s Finn’s” The blonde sounded completely unsure and the Latina knew her friend was lying to her._

_“You know Quinn, you drag me all the way over here to calm your prego ass, and you are going to feed me that bullshit? Who really is the father?”_

_The Latina could feel her tense slightly at the term “prego” but she didn’t mention her concern. Santana had felt bad after she had said the insult, but that was how she worked. She used insults to try and diffuse a lot of tension, but now was not the time. She needed to be there for Quinn._

_“Sorry. I didn’t mea-”_

_“It’s Puck’s”_

_She was a little shocked at the mention of Puck’s name, as her and Puck were supposedly dating, but she knew that Puck was just a good lay. She felt slightly hurt that he would go for Quinn and not her, but she always knew Puck had a soft spot for the blonde, and the Latina had a soft spot for another blonde with the most gorgeous blue eyes._

_“Leave it to the man whore to impregnate Virgin Mary.”_

_“Santana!”_

_“What, you called me over here, what did you expect?”_

_“I expected you to be my friend right now.”_

_Santana held her tongue. She wanted to argue with the blonde, but now was again not the time. She needed to be there for Quinn. She needed to be her friend._

_“Sorry...again.”_

_“It’s fine, should I really have expected anything else when I called you.”_

_“Okay you are lucky you are with child or I would beat your ass right now.”_

_Santana felt Quinn tense again at the mention of her unborn child. She was just about to apologize when Quinn began to speak._

_“Don’t bother apologizing. You clearly don’t mean it.”_

_“Sorry, my inner Snix just doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes.”_

_They laid there for a few more moments in completely silence. Both teens were letting the reality of Quinn’s situation fully set in. Quinn’s whole world was about to change, and with her family, it was most likely not for the better. Santana turned her head slightly to look down at Quinn. Her eyes seemed distant, like there was something else in her mind._

_“Are you going to tell your parents?”_

_“You and I both know I can’t do that. It’s bad enough living with my parents on a regular basis, there is no way they are going to find out.”_

_“I hate to break it to you Q, but in a couple of months, they will eventually find out about your little situation. Unless you...”_

_“No, I am having this baby. Just because I got drunk on wine coolers and made a mistake with Puck, doesn’t mean that this child has to suffer.”_

_“Are you going to keep it?” Quinn sat and pondered the statement for only a moment. She took a deep breath and released it slowly before answering Santana._

_“No, I can’t. I wouldn’t dare try and raise a child in this household, if I even live here by then. This child deserves the world and I’m not prepared to give that. Not yet.”_

_The Latina could see the tears well up in her eyes, but they didn’t fall down Quinn’s cheeks. They stayed trapped in her lashes. As she gazed upon her friend, she could still tell that something was off with Quinn. There was still something that she was not telling her._

_“Hey girly, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours? And don’t say it’s nothing because I know that there is something you’re not telling me.” The mummer that Quinn made was so faint that Santana couldn’t make it out._

_“Listen I know I have an alter ego and all, but I don’t have supersonic hearing, therefore I can’t hear your damn mouse...”_

_“She’s going to hate me”_

_Santana looked down at the blonde and saw the once trapped tears slowly start to slide down her face. Immediately her first thought was of Quinn’s mom. Her mom was the only true parent that Quinn had, and that wasn’t saying much._

_“Do you mean your mom?”_

_“No”_

_“Brittany, because if it’s her than I wouldn’t worry because..”_

_“No”_

_“Is it Coach, because you already know your prego ass is off..”_

_“No, and can we stop with the prego jokes please? Just for right now okay?”_

_Santana then became confused. Who else could Quinn possibly be afraid of? Contrary to popular belief, even though Quinn was the head cheerleader, she didn’t have that many friends or people she could count on in her life. Aside from her and the people she mentioned, the Latina had no idea who Quinn could have been talking about._

_“Listen I know your hormones tend to make you crazy while you’re pregnant, but if you weren’t talking about your mom, Brittany or Coach Sylvester, who the hell were you talking about?” The voice was so faint that Santana almost missed it. However there was no denying what came out of Quinn’s mouth._

_“Rachel..”_

_“Hold up, what does the hobbit have anything to do with this?”_

_“Can you not call her that?”_

_“Wait did you just call her Rachel?”_

_“Yes, is that so hard to believe?”_

_Santana would have liked to say it was, but she always knew. She always knew that Quinn had a soft spot for Rachel just like she had for Brittany. She always found it weird how Quinn acted towards Rachel. Even when she was trying to torture the girl, it always came off as loving or even erotic. From drawing hearts around a picture of Rachel, or drawing pornographic pictures of her on the bathroom walls, Quinn had it bad for the brunette._

_“So you’re finally admitting to your feelings for Berry? About damn time Q.”_

_“What did I say about calling her names?”_

_“Hey you said don’t call her hobbit, I called her Berry. Don’t argue with me about it Q and stop deflecting.”_

_“And what do you mean about damn time, you knew?”_

_“Knew? Hate to break it to you Q but you’re not the most subtle girl in the world.”_

_“What are you talking about?”_

_“The hearts, the pornographic pictures, you fan-girling while she sang and I know on a number of occasions I’ve seen you staring at her ass Q.”_

_“I was not!” Quinn shouted at her._

_“I swear Q you looked like you wanted to jump her bones after the push it performance. I know I saw you slip into the bathroom to take care of yourse..”_

_“Okay enough.”_

_Quinn looked livid with the Latina. She had just admitted to her feelings for the brunette to only have her slapped in the face with it. Santana saw the worry in her eyes at the realization that she was so obvious with her affection towards the brunette. Santana felt that Quinn had admitted a lot to her over the evening and felt the need to share something personal with the blonde._

_“Hey listen you’re not the only one who has the hots for someone of the female variety.”_

_“I swear if it’s me or Rachel, you either have to leave or I will kick your ass.”_

_“I don’t date hobbits or MILFs thank you very much.”_

_“I thought I told you to stop with the hobbit thing, and really MILF?”_

_“What I can’t help it Q, you’re hot, and I have a thing for blondes.”_

_“So, Brittany then?”_

_“Yeah, I love her Q.”_

_“I know you do S.”_

_“What you knew?”_

_“Let’s just say I am not the only one who hasn’t mastered the art of subtlety.”_

_“Touché”_

_The two laughed for a few minutes before Santana returned back to the reason that Quinn was worried in the first place. She looked down at Quinn and she could still see the faint tears hidden in her hazel eyes._

_“Q, why would Rachel hate you?”_

_“I was trying to get the courage to tell her how I feel. Now she is just going to see me as some pregnant slut. Who would love me now?”_

_“Listen Q, no matter what, me and Brits love you regardless.” Quinn smiled at the realization that no matter what, she would have Brittany and Santana at her side._

_“Thanks S.”_

_“As for Berry, the girl loves you Q.”_

_“What are you talking about?”_

_Santana didn’t only notice Quinn’s advances towards the brunette, but she also saw that Rachel carried her own affections for the blonde. She always caught the diva stealing glances at the blonde from her locker, or while they were in glee. She always mentioned how she wished she was pretty “like that Quinn girl.” The two girls had this unspoken bond that was tragically beautiful to the Latina, though she would never admit it. They were two people that were so meant to be, but had yet to have acted on their feelings. It was almost like the Shakespearean story of Romeo and Juliet, two star crossed lovers who were meant to be, but destined for chaos._

_“Let’s just say I have seen her looking at you, almost like the way she looks at Finn, but with more feeling. I’ve also heard her a few times say how hot she thought you were.”_

_“Hot really? That doesn’t sound like Rachel.”_

_“Okay she may have said beautiful, but I was just paraphrasing.”_

_Santana couldn’t hold back the smile when she looked at Quinn’s face. They girl looked so full of joy at the realization that Rachel shared the same feelings as Quinn. Santana quickly hid her smile in order to keep her Lima heights persona intact._

_She glanced over at Quinn’s nightstand and noticed that it had already reached 2 am._

_“Hey baby girl, it’s pretty late. Are you parents coming home?”_

_“No there at some church retreat this weekend. I said I was feeling ill and got out of it.”_

_“Well who really wants to spend the weekend with a bunch of Jesus freaks anyways.”_

_“Santana!” even though she almost shouted at the brunette, she could help the small chuckle that she emitted._

_“What? I just speak the truth Q. So I guess I should be going” As the Latina began to stand to start heading home when she felt the arms around her waist wrap tighter around her._

_“Can you stay? I really don’t want to be alone.”_

_“Sure thing, Q.”_

_The Latina reached over to turn off the lamp and cuddled closer to her friend. It was refreshing to be like this with the girl. To just lay there in each other’s arms with no intentions of anything romantic. They both had a different blonde and a different brunette on their minds._

_“Listen Q I know you got a thing for brunettes, but I don’t know how Berry would take it if she heard you were spooning me.”_

_“Shut up and go to sleep Santana.”_

_“Hey maybe it will help you out, build some cred befo..”_

_“If you don’t shut up, I’ll tell Brittany you were the one who let Lord Tubbington out.”_

_“You wouldn’t?”_

_“Watch me”_

_The two friends then fell into a heavy sleep, both dreaming of the girl they wished to be holding at that moment._

Santana looked down at Rachel once more before she made a decision, she couldn’t let Rachel go to that hospital. Not yet. Somewhere in her heart of heart she knew that Quinn was going to be okay. She also knew that Rachel was not emotionally ready to see Quinn right now. Santana could only imagine how much she was beating herself up over this whole mess. Seeing Quinn right now just wasn’t smart for Rachel.

Everyone was completely silent in the room. You could tell that the idea was still sinking in with everyone. The only sound that could be heard was the sobs from various members within the room. Santana made it a point to announce that she would be the one to check on Quinn, as well as Brittany of course.

She knelt down beside Rachel and placed a hand on her forearm. Rachel stirred slightly and it was the most movement that Santana had seen from the girl since she collapsed on the floor.

“Listen Rachel, me and Brittany are going to the hospital. We’re going to make sure she’s okay alright.”

“No please, please Santana take me with you” Rachel was violently sobbing now. It took all of Santana not to join her.

“Listen Rach, I promise you Q will be okay, and you will be the first person I call okay?”

Rachel looked like she was ready to argue with the Latina, so Santana continued.

“Listen baby girl, I know it’s really hard, but you seeing her right now isn’t the best thing and we both know it.”

Rachel looked at the Latina and nodded. She really wanted to argue with her. She really wanted to barge into that hospital room just to hold Quinn; to hold Quinn and never let go. However right now, she felt so numb. Like this whole thing was just a dream and she was waiting for someone to pinch her awake. She knew that right now, seeing Quinn would only send her spiralling downward into a deep depression.

Santana got up and grabbed her purse and then Brittany’s hand. They both started heading for the door when Santana decided to turn around.

“Hey Rachel,” The brunette turned around to meet the Latina’s gaze. “Stop beating yourself up over this; none of it is your fault.”

Tears started pouring down Rachel face as Santana and Brittany turned quickly. Santana had to leave before she broke down. She had to be the strong one, not only for Rachel, but for Brittany as well.

The two got into Santana’s Range Rover and started heading for the hospital. The ride was completely silent as their intertwined hands rested on the middle consol. About 10 minutes into the half hour drive Brittany turned her head to face Santana.

“San?”

“Yeah Brit?”

“You meant what you said right? That Q’s going to be okay?”

“Of course baby, I won’t let anything happen to Q. Nothing is going to break the Unholy Trinity.”

Santana kissed Brittany’s knuckles and they continued the rest of the drive in complete silence. The only interruptions where when Brittany was wiping her fallen tears away and Santana kissing Brittany’s hand trying to comfort her girlfriend.

They arrived at the hospital after what felt like hours. They rushed in the emergency entrance and approached the front desk.

“Where’s Q?” Brittany had said. Santana wanted to smile at her adorableness but settled for squeezing her hand tighter.

“I’m sorry who are you two looking for?”

“Lucy Quinn Fabray, she was brought here about an hour or two ago. She was in a car accident with a pickup truck.” Santana felt tears well up in her eyes but she never let them fall.

“I’m sorry, only family can see her now.”

“Wait does that means she’s okay?”

“She’s stable, but doctors have yet to determine the extent of her damage.”

Santana was relieved to hear that Quinn was alive. That’s all that mattered. She could have been a lot worse off, but someone was really looking out for her best friend.

“Please you have to let us see her. We’re the only family she’s got.”

The secretary looked between both Santana and Brittany and let out a small sigh.

“Alright girls, just this once, she’s on the second floor in room 206.”

The girls all but sprinted to the elevator to reach the second floor. However when the doors opened, the two girls slowed their pace. In only a mere 20 ft, they were going to see Quinn and they honestly didn’t know what they could expect. Both Brittany and Santana stopped outside of room 206. The door remained closed, and they were not able to see in. Brittany was about to reach for the door when Santana grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Hey babe, are you okay?”

“Yeah I just...I need to hold you for a minute okay?”

“You never have to ask San.”

The two just stood there for what felt like an eternity, just holding onto each other. Santana holding onto Brittany because she was just glad that it was not her lying in that bed right now, and Brittany was holding onto Santana because she knew her girlfriend needed it.

Santana pulled out of the embrace and placed a soft kiss to Brittany’s lips. She used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the tears from Brittany’s cheeks that seemed to have fallen during their lengthy embrace.

“Are you ready Brit-Brit?”

“I think so.”

Santana grasped tightly onto Brittany’s hand as she opened the door. They slowly entered the room and their eyes fell upon Quinn. She laid there in the bed surrounded by an abundance of machines that neither Santana nor Brittany knew what they were used for. She lay motionless as multiple wires entered and exited her body. Santana could see the bandages on Quinn’s face that cover the larger of her cuts. Most of her visible skin was covered in deep purple bruises or small cuts. The only sound in the room was the sound of the beeping machinery and quiet sobs that were now being emitted from both Brittany and now Santana.

The two walked over to the two chairs that sat at Quinn’s bed side. You could tell that Judy Fabray was here not too long ago as a worn bible sat on the table next to Quinn’s bed. Sitting on top of the bible were a pair of Judy’s reading glasses. I guess at this point even Kurt was praying for Quinn.

As they sat there, Santana felt Brittany rest her head on her shoulder. She turned slightly to kiss the top of Brittany’s head before reaching out and grabbing Quinn’s hand.

“You know Q, when I told you to stop Rachel’s wedding, I didn’t mean get in a damn car accident. I just meant for you to Taylor Swift the damn ceremony and steal your girl. Leave it to you to be so damn dramatic.”

Santana was trying to keep it light, not only for Brittany, but so she didn’t just completely break down. She had to be strong for her girls, all three of them. However Brittany knew better and squeezed Santana’s hand tighter while placing a kiss on her shoulder.

“Listen Q, I know everyone is trying to be really strong, but you need to wake the fuck up because we all need you. I need you to kill Berry for making me wear this god awful pink dress, and I need you to stick it to Finnocence and steal his girl away.”

Santana could feel the tears slowly stream down her face. It was then that she realized she need a moment alone with Quinn; a moment to gather her emotions. She turned to Brittany and looked down at her tear stained face.

“Hey baby, I think you should call Rachel. I’m sure she wants to come and see her girl.”

“Okay I’ll be right back.” Brittany kissed Santana on the lips and squeezed Quinn’s hand before heading towards the door. Before she could leave Santana called out to her.

“Hey Brittany.” She turned and started into the chocolate brown eyes of the Latina. “I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I love you to baby, always and forever.” She turned and headed out the door while Santana finally let all of the tears fall that she had been holding back. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Quinn was finally getting everything she ever wanted, she was just missing the girl, and now in some cruel act of fate it was all being taken from her.

“Listen Q, you need to come back to us okay. I need you, Brittany needs you, your mom, but most of all Rachel needs you. You should have seen her Q, she was a mess. Did you know she was waiting for you? She even kind of blew off Finnocence. He said it’s now or never, and she chose you. She turned away from Finn and texted you.”

She looked up as if she was expecting an answer from the blonde, but was only met with the constant beeping sound of the heart monitor and the loud noise being made by the respirator.

“Listen I have seen enough doctor shows to know that even though you’re in a coma, you can still hear me. So hear this, you need to get your skinny ass back to us okay. I need you here to make sure I’m not so mean to Berry, and to tell me to stop calling her Berry.” Tears were freely flowing down Santana’s cheeks and it was getting harder for her to speak.

“I need you hear to help me deal with Coach for the rest of the year because we both know how bad she is normally, imagine her being hormonal, were all fucked.” She felt a small smile creep to her lips, but it was soon erased.

“Most of all Q, you need to come back for Rachel. She loves you so much baby girl. I had to pry her away from the door to get her to stop coming in here and cuddling you to death. She looked so broken Q. No matter the abuse that she has endured over these past few years, I’ve never seen her that lost.” She looked upon Quinn’s face for a moment before continuing.

“You know Brittany is calling her, so it’s probably best you’re in a coma for that because that girl never shuts up, and I am glad that you’re in a coma so you can’t beat my ass for that comment.” She let another smile grace her lips for another small moment before saying her final words to the blonde.

“Come back to us Q, or so help me god I will bring you back and kill you myself. You can’t break the Unholy Trinity, and you can’t leave Rachel.”


	3. Stay With Me

Rachel sat on her bed in the middle of her room. She couldn’t even remember how she got there or how she got out of her wedding dress, but there she sat, completely motionless. Her mind was filled with an abundance of thoughts but all these thoughts revolved around one thing, Quinn. Rachel was doing her best to try and take Santana’s advice but nothing she did freed her of her guilt. Why did she have to have the wedding so soon right after regionals? Why did she decide to marry Finn at all? Why didn’t she and Quinn admit their damn feelings to each other? And the last question on her mind, why Quinn?

Sure Quinn was not always perceived as a saint, and she was far from perfect, but she finally had everything going for her. She bounced back from her depression that occurred after giving up Beth, she was going to go to Yale, she had dreams of graduating at the top of her class, she was going to be back on the cheerios and Rachel and Quinn were going to be friends for the rest of their lives. When Rachel made that commitment, she did not intend for their life-long friendship to be cut down to a few days.

It all seemed so unfair. And even though Rachel blamed a lot of Quinn’s accident on herself, she also blamed the universe in general. Even though she was of Jewish faith, and she knew that Quinn was not as devoted to God as she was during her freshman and sophomore years, it seemed that after all of her devotion she was being dealt a crap hand. All this time praying to this God, this supreme being, only to wind up getting in an accident when all of your dreams were in reach.

Rachel was so deep in thought that she didn’t even hear the soft knock at her bedroom door.

“Rachel, honey, can I come in?”

Hiram appeared through the doorway cautiously as he was trying to gage his daughter’s current emotional state. He knew that she had been a wreck over this whole accident and over Quinn. She was always a wreck when it came to Quinn. He remembered the days that his daughter would come home with slushy stained blouses, he always knew it was the cheerios, and mainly Quinn, but Rachel always defended Quinn’s actions.

He also remembered the time that Quinn first joined glee, and the smile on Rachel face as she went on and on about her beautiful voice, though she didn’t quite have the vocal training Rachel did. He also remembered the day she came home crying after her and Quinn had a fight, it was the night she wrote the song _Get it Right_. He remembered the time she came home with a wrist corsage, Hiram assuming that Quinn finally admitted her feelings, but Rachel stated that she was buying it for Finn. She said she was buying it because he didn’t know what a gardenia looked like and she knew he wouldn’t pick out the right coloured ribbon that would match Quinn’s eyes.

Hiram knew that Rachel absolutely adored the girl, and he knew Quinn adored her back. It was rare that Hiram saw the girl, but during the few glee performances or when Quinn would come over to the house, he just saw it on her face. Quinn always looked at Rachel as if she was the most precious thing in the world. She would smile a beaming smile that from Hiram’s knowledge, only seemed to appear in the presence of Rachel.

Now here he stands in the doorway glancing upon his daughter who looked like she had the weight of the world completely resting upon her shoulders. He stood there and knew that no 18 year old should ever have to carry that burden.

Rachel looked up at her father. She knew that out of her fathers, Hiram would be the one to console her. Out of her fathers, Hiram was more the mother of the two, where Leroy assumed the fatherly figure. Leroy was more of a hard man, but still knew how to joke around. Hiram knew how to deal with all the emotional stuff that a girl just needed a mom for. She was thankful for her daddy.

“Hi daddy,” Rachel’s voice cracked from not having spoken in awhile as well as from the tears she was trying to hold back.

“How are you feeling baby girl?” Rachel only glanced at him before he realized he asked a stupid question. “Sorry, stupid question.”

Hiram moved slowly to the edge of Rachel’s bed before he sat down. He looked upon his daughter before he opened his arms and let her fall into him. She quietly released the fresh tears that seemed to have formed since her collapse in the courtroom.

Hiram just sat there holding onto Rachel. He knew that she didn’t need any more words aimed at her when a million thoughts were bouncing around in her head. She just needed someone to hold her; a shoulder to cry on.

After around 15 minutes, Rachel raised her head and looked at her father. She could tell that he had been previously crying as well. His eyes were red and his cheeks were stained. She was thankful that he was not crying now because she just needed someone to be strong if it couldn’t be her. And no one wants to see their father cry.

“So I have some good news”

Rachel looked at him with a skeptical expression at this statement. She couldn’t think of any news that would be good at this moment. She could have just gotten an acceptance letter from NYADA and she would still not be able to find the joy within her.

“What news could possibly be good right now daddy?”

“Well Brittany called, strange one she is, she kept going on about someone named Lord Tubbington an-”

Rachel instantly felt a jolt of life through her body. She knew that Brittany was with Santana when she went to go see Quinn. With the possibility of good news and Quinn in the same thought bubble, at this point, was short of a miracle.

“What did she say daddy? Is Quinn okay? Is she awake?”

“Woah slow your roll kiddo. Once Santana got on the line, she explained that Quinn is stable, but she’s in a coma honey.”

Rachel didn’t care. She didn’t care if half of her was missing, Quinn was stable. Quinn was alive. A lot of the guilt that Rachel was holding was lifted off of her shoulders. Knowing that Quinn was okay, her best friend, her girl, all seemed almost right again in the world.

“I want to see her daddy”

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea honey”

“Daddy please, I just need to see her. Please let me see her.”

Hiram looked at his daughter and he had never seen such determination. Even after all of her performances or competitions, he had never seen such a look of peer want on her face. Not even when she was saying how much she wanted to marry Finn.

“Okay honey, I’ll talk to your dad and see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much daddy”

Hiram exited the room and for the first time, Rachel let a smile creep to her face. She could have only imagined the condition Quinn was in, but she was going to see her, as long as her dads let her.

Rachel starting pacing her room as she was getting ready to go to the hospital. She wasn’t granted a definite yes, but she knew that if anyone were to do it, Hiram would be able to persuade her dad in letting her go. It was all part of the Berry charm.

As she was washing her face, she saw Finn appear to her right. He stood in the doorway of her ensuite bathroom. He stood with his shoulders slightly hunched with a somewhat pained expression on his face. He looked up from the ground to meet Rachel’s eyes before he began to speak.

“How are you doing Rach?”

“Better now. Quinn’s okay.” She didn’t mean for her answers to be so short, but she really didn’t feel like talking to the boy at the moment.

“That’s great Rach. I’m really happy.”

Even though he expressed he was happy, the emotion wasn’t present in his features. He seemed like he had something else on his mind, something else he wanted to say, but you could tell he was worried about Rachel’s reaction.

Finn crossed the small distance between him and Rachel and placed his arms around her and put his hands on her stomach. He pulled his front flush with her back and placed a kiss on her temple. She knew the boy was trying to be comforting, but it took a lot of control to not simply push the boy away.

When she met his eyes in the mirror, she allowed a forced smile to reach her lips. As she looked at their reflection, she couldn’t help but feel that it was all wrong; that they were not meant to be. His tall stature completely contrasted her petit stature. His hands were too large and rough, while hers were small and smooth. They didn’t fit together. Not like her and Quinn. She felt that she and Finn were like two completely different puzzle pieces that were being forced together because it’s what seemed right. It seemed logical. But no matter how many ways you turn the pieces or hammered them together, they were not meant to coexist.

As she met his eyes once more, she could still tell that he had something else on his mind. She didn’t really want to start a discussion now, but she was curious to what the boy was thinking.

“What’s on your mind?”

“What are you talking about Rach?”

“There’s something you’re not telling me, I can see it in your eyes.”

“Woah you’re like a mind reader. Guess I’ll have to remember that for after we get married. There is just some stuff that no wife should know about their husband.”

Finn pulled her closer and she tensed at the contact. She also didn’t like how he freely threw terms like _married, husband_ and _wife_ around after such a tragedy.

“We don’t need to talk about marriage now Finn. It’s not the time.”

“Well, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk about.”

Rachel pulled away from Finn and turned to face him. She didn’t like the direction this conversation was going in. This seemed to be common with a lot of conversations that occurred between the two.

“Why would you bring that up now, so soon after Quinn’s accident?”

“Well you said it yourself; she’s okay, so why not continue with the ceremony.”

“Finn, it has been maybe 4 hours since news of her accident, show a little compassion.”

She was disgusted with him at this moment. They find out Quinn is okay, and his first though is let’s go get married now. She could barely be in the same room with him right now let alone think about marrying him.

“Look this accident has made me do a lot of thinking. Life’s too short Rach, so why not get married now. I mean before all this happened, we were about to walk down the aisle. Now that we know Quinn is stable, we can just continue on with our plans.”

“You’re an ass.”

Rachel rarely swore, but the boy just brought it out in her at this moment. She couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

“We find out Quinn’s okay and you immediately want to drive to Vegas and get hitched.”

“Well I didn’t say Vegas Rach, we can just go back to the courthouse and get another slot.”

“Do you hear yourself right now? And the Vegas bit was just an expression Finn.”

Man was the boy ever gullible.

“Right,”

He went silent for a moment, clearly trying to determine his next move, which was just a lost cause. The boy rarely ever did the right thing. And as the next words fell out of his mouth, it only further proved his stupidity.

“The problem is you wanted Quinn there right? Maybe we can arrange the wedding so it’s in the hospital room.”

He smiled thinking this was the right answer and edged closer to Rachel. She backed away quickly and held her hands up to stop the boy’s advances.

“If you think that is what the problem is here, you are far more ignorant than I thought.”

“But Rach-”

“No just stop talking Finn, please? You’re only making this worse.”

Before Finn attempted to speak again, Hiram entered through the door.

“Hey everything okay in here.”

“It’s fine daddy.”

She tried to take the anger out that was laced in her voice but she failed to do so. She did not want to give away that she and Finn were already fighting and they didn’t even say I do yet. She didn’t want Hiram to go on about how he knew this was a mistake and that they shouldn’t get married. But at this point, she was struggling to find reason to marry the boy herself.

“Are you ready to go sweetheart, I used the old Berry charm to persuade your dad.”

“Wait, where are you going?”

“I’m going to see Quinn.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No please, don’t. I don’t want you to.”

She exited the room before Finn had any chance for a rebuttal. She couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with him at the moment. She just wanted to see Quinn in any sort of capacity in this moment. And see her is just what she was about to do.

The two Berry men and Rachel jumped in the family hybrid and started heading towards Lima Medical. The car was usually filled with Broadway music and show tunes as the three Berry’s sang along, but now the only sound that could be heard was the quiet purr of the engine. All three were completely robbed of words and didn’t even know where to begin conversation. So they decided to just remain silent.

After nearly a half hour, the three arrived at Lima Medical. Rachel burst through the doors of the emergency room leaving her fathers running short behind her.

“Excuse me I’m looking for a Quinn Fabray.”

“Popular girl she is today, and are you of any relation?”

“By blood no, but I just really need to see her. Please.”

The Berry men caught up to Rachel. They saw the sad look in her eyes as she was being denied access to her best friend.

“Please, you have to let her see her.”

“I’m sorry it’s protocol.”

“Oh give it up Betty and let the girl through.”

The three Berrys turned to the familiar voice. There stood Santana and Brittany just on the other side of the desk.

“You two are on a first name basis?” Rachel was confused that Santana seemed so comfortable with the women at the front desk.

“I’ve been here all day Berry, you get to know people.”

Rachel took that as a final answer and didn’t bother to continue into further questioning. The women looked slightly annoyed as she responded back to Santana.

“I told you I can’t do that, you two just got lucky.”

“Listen let the girl go see her girlfriend.”

Rachel tensed at the word _girlfriend_ , but she didn’t bother correcting Santana. If it meant that she could see Quinn, she was going to keep her mouth shut. It seemed like everyone else shared the same thought.

“Is this true?”

“Y-yes Quinn...is my..my girlfriend.”

Rachel could tell that the women didn’t quite buy it, but she didn’t object either. She looked at Rachel lazily before speaking once again.

“Room 206, but only you are allowed missy, your two henchmen have to wait here or go to the cafeteria.”

Hiram looked like he was about to argue with the women for the henchmen comment, but Leroy quickly grabbed his hand.

“I heard the coffee at Lima Medical is to die for, come one honey lets go.”

Leroy pulled Hiram down the hall towards the cafeteria and left Rachel standing there alone with Santana and Brittany, who had now moved beside the starlet.

“I’m gonna warn you Berry, it’s not pretty. But I know she would want to see you.”

“I know it’s not going to be ideal, but I really needed to see her to.”

“Go get your girl Berry.”

Rachel would have liked to think Santana was playing along with the girlfriend charade, but she knew that Santana was being completely serious. She also couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she thought of Quinn as _her girl_.

Rachel left Santana and Brittany as she made her way to the elevator. She remembered the last time she was here; it was after Quinn gave birth to Beth. She wanted to come after everyone had left so she could have her alone time with Quinn.

_Rachel entered room 308 to go see Quinn. After an unfortunate confrontation with Shelby and after losing regionals, Rachel needed a distraction and Quinn was the perfect one. Visiting hours were almost up, but Rachel managed to squeeze by. She leisurely walked down the hall of the third floor and headed into room 308._

_When she entered, she was surprised to find that Quinn had fallen asleep. As Rachel gazed upon her face, she noticed how content Quinn looked. How beautiful she looked. She tore her eyes away from Quinn and forced herself to look around the room. She felt that it was wrong to look at Quinn like that and think those things._

_As she peered around the room, she saw the multiple flower arrangements and various pink coloured balloons. She noticed that the television in the corner still played, meaning Quinn must have fallen asleep while watching it. Rachel noticed that there seemed to be a Friends marathon on, so she sat in the only chair that was seated next to Quinn’s bed._

_The first episode was almost over when a nurse entered carting in Quinn’s baby girl. The nurse peered at Quinn and then at Rachel._

_“Oh I didn’t know she was asleep, I guess I’ll-”_

_“No it’s fine. I am sure she would love to see her when she wakes up.”_

_“Are you a relative or-”_

_“A friend actually.”_

_Rachel felt comfortable referring to Quinn as her friend. Though they were not the closest, she had always considered everyone in glee a friend._

_“Well, do you want to hold her?”_

_“Me?”_

_The nurse nodded as she cradled the small infant girl in her arms. She slowly started approaching Rachel who was waiting with open arms. She was hesitant, but once she was placed in her arms, the hesitation seemed to have vanished._

_“I’ll leave you three then.”_

_The nurse exited the room. The only sounds that were heard were the T.V in the background and the small noises being emitted from the baby girl. Rachel had never seen anything so beautiful, and did she expect anything less when her mother was Quinn._

_“Hey pretty girl.”_

_Rachel smiled at the infant. She didn’t know why, but it felt so natural to hold the child. To be in this moment with Quinn, even if she wasn’t truly present._

_“What’s your name pretty girl?”_

_“It’s Beth”_

_Rachel turned and noticed that Quinn had woken from her slumber. Her breathe hitched slightly at the beauty of the girl, but she covered it up with a small cough. She turned back to the baby girl and smiled once again._

_“Hi Beth, It’s very nice to meet you”_

_“I think she likes you”_

_Rachel smiled at this. Quinn and her weren’t the closest of friends, but the interaction seemed so fluid and natural._

_“You think?”_

_“Yeah, I do,” Quinn smiled at the starlet._

_Rachel couldn’t help but beam back. This moment felt so surreal to her. Never in a million years would she think she would be here like this with Quinn._

_“What are you doing here so late Rach? I thought you weren’t going to show there for awhile.”_

_“Oh no, I was just...talking with Shelby?”_

_“How’d that go?”_

_“Honestly. Not so good.” Rachel fought back the tears that were stinging her eyes._

_“What did she say Rach?”_

_“She said that it was too late for us, to start over, to build a relationship; that we wasted too much time. She basically abandoned me all over again.”_

_“I’m sorry Rachel. She just doesn’t know how amazing you are. It’s her loss.”_

_Rachel smiled at this statement. It was not only the fact that Quinn was saying all of these things, but it was also the fact that she was so honest with her words. She wasn’t forcing them for Rachel’s benefit; she truly believed what she was saying._

_“Thank you Quinn.”_

_“Anytime Rachel.”_

_Rachel could see Quinn eyeing the infant that she held in her arms._

_“Do you want to hold her?”_

_“If you don’t mind”_

_“Not at all Quinn”_

_Rachel carefully handed Beth to Quinn. Quinn held her so gently, but it looked so natural._

_“She’s so beautiful”_

_“Just like her mom.”_

_Rachel didn’t mean to let that slip out of her mouth, but she also couldn’t ignore the blush that crept to Quinn’s cheeks. Rachel stared for a few more moments before she felt like Quinn should be alone with her daughter._

_“I guess I’ll step out now-”_

_“Wait, can you stay with me? I really don’t want to stay here alone. I hate hospitals.”_

_“What about your mom?”_

_“She left an hour ago. I’m surprised she even showed up today.”_

_Rachel gave a sympathetic nod before sitting back down in the chair. The two shared small talk about regionals, glee and other topics. After around a half hour, the nurse came in and took Beth back. Rachel began to get up once again when she felt a hand grab her wrist._

_“Please stay.”_

_“I have to go home sometime Quinn.”_

_“Just stay with me tonight please. I don’t want to be alone, and they’re talking Beth away in the morning. I just...I need you here okay?”_

_“Okay.” Rachel began to sit back down when Quinn objected._

_“Come here”_

_Quinn shifted over in the bed to make room for the petit girl. Rachel was a bit hesitant, but accepted the offer. She laid down next to Quinn, but her body remained tense. She then felt an arm drape over her stomach and she felt Quinn move closer to Rachel._

_“I’m really glad you’re here.”_

_Rachel began to relax at the touch as she cuddled closer to Quinn._

_“Yeah, me too.”_

Rachel approached room 206 with caution. She knew that this hospital visit was going to be vastly different from her previous visit with Quinn. She stood there, staring at the door, knowing full well Quinn was on the other side of it. She grasped the handle and slowly entered into the room.

As she entered, she saw Quinn lying on the bed. She couldn’t stop the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. All the guilt that she had previously let go came rushing back. She looked at her bandaged face, bruised body and the multiple wires that were entering the girl and couldn’t help but feel responsible.

She moved from the entryway and approached the blonde. As she did, she reached for Quinn’s hand and held it gently.

“I’m so sorry Quinn.”

The hot tears continued to roll down Rachel’s face, but the tears were now coming more frequently. She was so sorry that this had to happen to Quinn, but she knew that if Quinn was here right now, she would have told Rachel it wasn’t her fault.

Rachel ran her thumb over Quinn’s scraped knuckles as she looked at her face. Even with the multitude of bandages and bruising, Rachel still found Quinn to be absolutely stunning. She sat in the chair next to Quinn’s bed and continued to hold her hand.

“You know the last time I was here it was under better circumstances. Just know though Quinn, I am so glad that you are okay.”

She brought her hand to her lips and placed a light kiss on Quinn’s knuckles. She knew it was wrong, to almost use Quinn like this and then return to your fiancé, but the action felt so natural to Rachel; like she had been doing it for years. She never felt that natural connection with Finn. With Finn, everything was forced.

“And now I feel like I should be honest with you Quinn and it may be selfish of me to admit things to you now, but just know I love you Quinn; I love you so much. I love you so much and I wish it was you walking down the aisle with me and not Finn.”

Rachel was getting close to breaking down, but she remained strong. She sat in the chair for a few moments, holding Quinn’s hand, as she waited for most of the tears to stop flowing. With one deep breath, she continued to speak.

“I wish it was me and you, but we both know we can’t do that. We can’t hold each other back. That’s what you said right? Let go of the past and start your future? I have Broadway and Finn and you have Yale.”

She looked up at the blonde wishing she could see her hazel eyes. Those hazel eyes that could immediately calm the diva and make her forget the world.

“I wish life were simple. I wish all of this didn’t happen; the accident and Finn.”

She gripped a little tighter on the blonde’s hand, but not too much. She didn’t want to squeeze too hard because she held a slight fear that she might break her. That Quinn was one squeeze away from being gone from her forever.

“Do you remember the last time I was here? It was after you had Beth. I felt like we both knew back then, that we shared these common feelings, but we just let them be. We were just us and every interaction we had was so fluid and natural.”

She let her thumb drag lazily over the back of Quinn’s hand as she continued to speak.

“And that night we laid in each other’s arms, and I felt like I could have laid there forever and I would have been happy. But you had Puck, and I had Finn. Life got in the way for us.”

She looked up at Quinn once again, expecting piercing hazel eyes to be looking back at her, but she was met with closed lids.

“I wish, back then, that we would have stopped being such damn fools and admitted our feelings for each other. Then all of this, this mess, would have never existed. You wouldn’t be lying in this hospital bed and I wouldn’t be making the biggest mistake of my life.”

She let the tears she was trying to hold back fall. She continued to sit with Quinn for hours. She sat there and let all the tears inside of her fall while simultaneously placing soft kisses to the back of Quinn’s hand.

The visiting hours were rapidly disappearing and it was nearing the point where Rachel would have to go home. She didn’t want to leave Quinn. She didn’t want to leave Quinn and go back home to Finn. She just didn’t have the energy to pretend with him. She didn’t have the energy to lie in his arms and feign desire for the boy. She couldn’t be the trophy wife tonight.

As the hours flew by, Rachel decided she was going to stay. She quickly shot a text to her fathers saying she was staying with Quinn. Her fathers didn’t object, but they told her to be careful and to watch out for Betty. Rachel couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at the message.

Rachel stood up while she started arranging the chairs into a makeshift bed. As she was doing so, she glanced over to Quinn. As she did this, she completely left the makeshift bed and walked over to Quinn.

She noticed the small gap spacing on Quinn’s right side. She manoeuvred around the numerous wires and laid next to Quinn. Rachel rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder and draped her arm over the blonde’s stomach as gently as possible.

“I just need to stay with you tonight. I just don’t want to be alone”


	4. Deja-Vu

Sunlight appeared through the hospital curtains and illuminated the room. Rachel did not want to open her eyes to the blinding light, but due to its intensity, could tell it must had been near noon. Rachel buried her face further into Quinn’s neck to block the light coming in and she sighed heavily.

It had been a long time since Rachel had that much of a peaceful sleep. She felt safe and content sleeping beside Quinn. As she took another deep sigh, she could still smell the smell that was completely Quinn. Even after being surrounded by the smells of medical supplies and hand sanitizer, she could still smell the faint smell that only belonged to the blonde.

She raised her head slightly from the crevice of Quinn’s neck but kept her eyes closed. She expected the sun to still be blinding, but was surprised when the once blinding light was seemingly darker.

It was at this moment Rachel knew there was someone else in the room. She was afraid to open her eyes thinking that maybe Betty had caught her after all, or Finn decided to make a surprise visit. If she were to open her eyes to Finn, it would be much harder to explain the slightly compromising position she was currently in with Quinn.

Fear aside, Rachel opened her eyes. For a moment, it almost felt as if it were Quinn staring back at the starlet. However, Rachel knew that it was not Quinn but in fact Judy Fabray.

“Well isn’t this a little bit of a surprise?”

“Hello Mrs. Fabray.”

“You know I am really getting a sense of déjà vu.”

Rachel had to smile at the memory of the first time Judy had encountered the starlet in the exact same position. It was after the night that Rachel had stayed with Quinn at the hospital.

_It was the day after Quinn had given birth to Beth, and Judy was readying herself for another day at the hospital. She knew that today was going to be especially hard for her daughter as today was the day they were taking Beth away._

_Judy was doing her best to be there for her daughter. She had made so many mistakes over the last nine months concerning her daughter, but that was about to end. Though the divorce was not finalized, she had left Russell Fabray and she was starting over fresh, not only with herself, but with Quinn as well._

_She still had the house, which Russell left to her after she ran off with his tattooed receptionist, so at least she and Quinn had a relatively large roof over their heads. She still had to find a job to keep up with the mortgage payments, but if it meant Quinn and herself being a family, she was willing to make sacrifices._

_Judy placed a few snacks in her purse, as she knew how horrid the food was at Lima Medical, as well as a few magazines to pass the time by. Quinn had to stay at the hospital for one more day before she returned home tomorrow, so Judy was going to use this time to bond with her daughter. A time to catch up on those lost nine months._

_Judy hopped into the family SUV and started to make her way to Lima Medical. She had felt bad for leaving her daughter yesterday to stay the night at the hospital alone, but Judy just needed time. After nine long months of no communication, it was hard to be in that room with Quinn. She no longer knew how to comfort her daughter. They quickly ran out of things to say to one another and Judy had felt the tension in the room that evening. They both needed time away to gather their emotions so their first conversation didn’t end up being an argument._

_Judy paid for parking and pulled into an open spot. She stopped by the gift shop to buy another flower arrangement for Quinn before going to check in at the front desk._

_“Hi I’m here to see my daughter Quinn Fabray.”_

_“Okay, can you sign here please?”_

_Judy began to sign the book as the receptionist continued to talk to her._

_“Your daughter is in room 308 right?”_

_“Why yes she is, why may you ask?”_

_Judy began to slightly worry that something had happened to her daughter. She tried not to let the panic appear on her face._

_“Oh its nothing, it’s just that I would try and be quiet when you enter the room.”_

_“I thought they already took Beth away today? Is she still in the room with Quinn?”_

_Judy only seemed to get more confused by the minute. She was really starting to question the employees of Lima Medical._

_“No they did take Beth this morning, but your daughter and her girlfriend are both fast asleep. A nurse checked on them only a few minutes ago.”_

_Judy’s mouth fell agape. Not only in those nine months did she miss out on Quinn’s pregnancy, but she also missed the fact that even though her daughter was pregnant, she had acquired a girlfriend over these none months._

_“I’m sorry, did you say girlfriend?”_

_“Yes, well I assume they are girlfriends. They are currently sleeping in the same hospital bed.”_

_Judy tried to hide her surprise, but as she glanced over the receptionist’s face, she could tell that she wasn’t doing a particularly well job of doing so._

_“I am going to take it by the shocked look on your face that you didn’t know your daughter had a girlfriend.”_

_“Well when you don’t talk to your daughter for almost nine months, and the last time you did talk to her she was announcing her pregnancy, girlfriend didn’t seem to be in the cards. Last time I checked, she was dating a boy named Finn.”_

_“Well according to the sign in sheet, your daughter is now dating a girl, named Rachel Berry.”_

_Judy knew the name, she was sure the whole town of Lima knew the name Rachel Berry. Judy saw her sing at the regional performance and she was completely memorized by the tiny diva. She had the most incredible voice that Judy had ever heard of._

_Quinn often brought up the diva’s name in conversation, but it was never usually positive. It was usually how annoying she was or how much she talked and even about her horrid fashion sense._

_None of this was adding up, but to be truthfully honest, she hadn’t known her daughter for nine months; and teens never made sense these days._

_Even thought she was slightly shocked, she still proceeded to room 308. She walked much slower than usual, still trying to wrapped her head around the whole situation, but she was failing slightly. Learning about your daughter being gay, five minutes before you were going to go see her, was a lot to handle._

_Judy was never as bad as Russell when it came to their faith. Sure Judy was a devoted Christian, but she never had a problem with the gay community. She never saw the gay community as a threat to society the way her husband did. She also did not have a problem with Quinn being gay now; it just all came as a shock to her._

_She approached room 308 and opened the door cautiously. The room still remained dark, and the curtains were still drawn closed, but there was a lamp on in the corner of the room. It allowed for enough light to slightly illuminate the room, but not enough to wake the two sleeping teens._

_As Judy walked into the room, her gaze fell upon Rachel and Quinn. The two were lying wrapped up in each other’s arms. Over the night, their legs had tangled and they pushed the one blanket onto the floor._

_Judy could see Rachel shiver and huddle closer to Quinn due to the loss of their blanket. Judy reached down to grab the blanket and then draped it over her daughter and Rachel. She didn’t have the heart to wake the two and start an interrogation._

_Judy spent a few hours cleaning the small room, shooing nurses away and watching the television on a low volume. As it began to near noon, she decided to grab herself and the two sleeping girls lunch from the cafeteria, as she had already eaten the snacks that she had originally brought for Quinn._

_Judy returned 15 minutes later with three trays of food. As she was setting the food on the small table placed inside the room, she could hear stirring from the hospital bed. As she turned, she noticed a very groggy and confused Rachel Berry peering at her through half lids._

_“Mrs. Fabray?”_

_“Hello Rachel, I guess it is nice to meet you more formally.”_

_Judy extended a hand for Rachel to shake. Rachel seemed confused but accepted the gesture. She always assumed from Quinn’s description that her parents were monsters, so she was surprised by the sudden hospitality._

_“Likewise, Mrs. Fabray.”_

_“Oh please, you are my daughter’s girlfriend, call me Judy.”_

_Rachel was once again confused. She wasn’t sure if Judy meant girlfriends in the same terms as Rachel did. She didn’t know if her mother meant girlfriend in the friend sense or the actual girlfriend sense._

_“Well Quinn and I have become quite good friends through Glee Club.”_

_“I’d hope you would consider yourself more than good friends if you are dating my daughter.”_

_Rachel finally grasped that Judy Fabray did not mean girlfriends in the friends sense. She had meant it in its proper context._

_“No Mrs. Fabray, Quinn and I are not dating, we are just friends.”_

_“You don`t have to pretend with me anymore, Rachel. I am no Russell Fabray.”_

_“Trust me, Quinn and I are not hiding anything, we are just friends. Despite the position you found us in.”_

_Judy felt embarrassed of her assumption, but also felt like Rachel was hiding something. Rachel may have argued their friendship, but friends did not sleep together like that. Not even she and Russell, a once happily married couple, slept that close together. If they were just friends, Rachel could have easily just slept on the chair. Though there she laid, and now sits, next to her sleeping daughter._

_“Rachel, if it truly something more, don`t be afraid to tell me. I am not ashamed of you; I want to support you two. I am not the person I used to be.”_

_“I thank you for the support, but it is not needed. Quinn and I are not presently in a Sapphic based relationship.”_

_Judy was surprised at the diva`s use of vocabulary, and was also starting to understand why Quinn always complained about said vocabulary._

_However, once Rachel had finished speaking, Judy noticed something in her eye. Something that made Judy felt like Rachel wanted that type of relationship with Quinn. In Rachel`s eyes, Judy could see that Rachel had love for her daughter, and not in the friend sense._

_“Well I`d better be on my way. You should spend some time with Quinn. I know she missed you.”_

_Rachel smiled at Judy and got up from the bed. Rachel started grabbing her things in preparation to leave. Before she had a chance to reach the door, Judy spoke up._

_“You love her don’t you?”_

_“What? Who?”_

_“Quinn. I can see it in your eyes.”_

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mrs. Fabray, Quinn and I are strictly friends.”_

_Rachel began to grow panicked. She thought she was doing a relatively good job at hiding her feelings for Quinn. She seemed to have fooled her parents, the glee club and even Quinn herself. However Judy Fabray managed to figure it out. For someone who hasn’t seen their daughter in months, she was very observant. Rachel was now starting to wonder if anyone else knew about her feelings towards the blonde; she began to wonder if Quinn knew._

_Rachel looked at Judy and tried to keep the panic off of her face; something she knew she wasn’t doing particularly well. Judy looked at the starlet and a knowing smile had appeared on her lips._

_“It’s okay Rachel, she loves you too.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Quinn. It took me until just now to realize, but she loves you, Rachel.”_

_Rachel couldn’t believe what Judy was saying, Quinn had never even given Rachel the light of day until last night. Rachel blamed the events of last night on Quinn’s fear of hospitals. Rachel knew Quinn was scared and she just wanted someone there. She was sure if it was anyone else, she would have cast Rachel aside._

_“I don’t believe you Mrs. Fabray, Quinn doesn’t love me, she loves Puck.”_

_“Then how come you are all she talks about?”_

_“What?”_

_This whole conversation between Judy and Rachel was really starting to confuse the starlet. The fact that Judy hadn’t been in her life for almost nine months, and is now saying that Rachel was all Quinn ever talked about, was extremely absurd._

_“It never even occurred to me until now, but I feel like I have always known.”_

_“No offence Mrs. Fabray, but you haven’t even talked to your daughter for the last nine months, so what could you possibly know about her supposed love for me?”_

_That hit a sore spot with Judy. The starlet was completely right, what could she possibly know about her daughter? What gave her the right to make these accusations? But with the years leading up to the pregnancy, and the previous night, Judy just knew her daughter was smitten with Rachel._

_Rachel saw hurt flash across Judy’s face and she began to feel guilty. She was never that rude towards adults ever, but she felt like Judy needed to hear that. She needed to feel even a fraction of the pain she left Quinn with._

_“I’m sorry Mrs-“_

_“No you are right, how can I make assumptions when I hardly know my daughter right?”_

_“It’s really not my place to judge.”_

_“Listen, even though I have not been with Quinn for the last nine months, I was with her the many years before, as well as last night. I guess you could call it mother’s intuition.”_

_“Or an incredible gaydar.”_

_The two shared a small smile at Rachel’s comment._

_“Well I guess you could say that as well.” Judy chuckled softly._

_“I still don’t understand how you can tell that Quinn shares the same feelings?”_

_“It was not as obvious at first, but over time it grew into something more. My daughter would go out of her way to bring you into the conversation. At first, usually it was comments about your fashion sense, your long winded rants or the fact that you were always trying to steal Finn away from her.”_

_Rachel rolled her eyes at this. Even though these were things of the past, she still couldn’t believe how ridiculous Quinn used to be._

_“Well some of those things never change.”_

_It was true. Even though Quinn had stopped making comments on her wardrobe or her speech, when she did, it was always followed with a playful smile or it was presented in a joking manner. It was almost as if Quinn enjoyed Rachel’s long winded ranting and her wardrobe complete with argyle sweaters, skirts, knee high socks and penny loafers._

_“Well they did start to change. She moved on from her crude comments and started to compliment you. She wouldn’t go into details, but she always went on about your voice. She always said that you didn’t sound that bad in Glee, or on your myspace videos.”_

_Rachel had to smile at this. It wasn’t a surprise that Quinn had taken a liking to her voice. There were moments where she would catch Quinn’s eyes during a performance and there would be a smile on her face._

_“Well this all seems like the start to a great friendship, but I don’t quite see the love that you seem to.”_

_“I thought that is what it was as well, until last night. Even with everyone in the room, I could see that she was looking for someone. I saw her look to the door every five minutes, or even glance at the clock.”_

_Judy found that this was strange. While she was sitting in that room, out of everyone who was there, Quinn still seemed to be searching for someone. She saw Finn, Puck, Brittany, Santana, and the rest of the glee members, but she failed to notice who was missing. It wasn’t until Quinn had opened her mouth._

_“She kept asking for you. She kept telling Puck and Finn to call and text you to try and get you to come to the hospital. When you never answered, she sulked the rest of the night.”_

_“I had my phone turned off.”_

_“Well she didn’t talk the rest of the night. I could tell it pained her that you were not there. Out of all of her friends and family, she was most upset that you were not there. That sounds a little more like missing a loved one rather than a friend.”_

_“I feel like I have to argue with you again, Quinn and I have grown close, maybe to the point of best friends. It would be sensible for her to miss me.”_

_Judy didn’t know why Rachel was fighting so hard to disprove Quinn’s feelings for her. No matter what Judy said, it was shot down by the diva. Judy could tell Rachel loved Quinn; she was just trying not to give her hopes up with the blonde and trying not to have her heart broken._

_“You know I don’t blame you. I know you are trying to stop yourself from getting hurt, but I know my daughter. I know she cares greatly for you. I almost didn’t believe it myself until I was about to leave.”_

_Judy and Rachel eyes connected before Judy continued._

_“I was getting ready to leave when I heard Quinn say ‘She didn’t come mom. I really needed Rachel here.’ She was so heartbroken. She didn’t care that her father didn’t make it, or that Puck left. She just wanted you.”_

_Rachel let tears well up in her eyes as she slightly nodded her head. She didn’t want to continue this conversation in fear of giving her hopes up. She smiled at Judy before turning around. She reached for the door handle before she heard Judy call out._

_“Hey Rachel,” Rachel turned._

_“Don’t be afraid to open your heart and let her in.”_

_“Thank you Mrs. Fabray.”_

_“Please, call me Judy. If you are going to be my daughter’s girlfriend someday, we might as well be on a first name basis.”_

_Rachel let a smile grace her lips before heading out the door._

Rachel and Judy stared at one another lost in the memory. They both broke into a smile before they cast their gaze to Quinn.

“You still didn’t take my advice did you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I expected you and Quinn to be an item by now.”

“Things change I guess. I think we both realized we were meant for bigger things and that we didn`t want to hold each other back.”

“You can feed me all the excuses in the world, but I know it`s a load of bull crap.”

Rachel was surprised with Judy`s response. She seemed almost angry that Rachel and Quinn didn`t act on their feelings. Rachel turned her gaze from Quinn to look at Judy. Judy just stared right back,

“I heard you were getting married.”

“You heard right.”

“Did you do it yet?”

“Do what?”

“Get married?”

Rachel turned to Judy and held up her left hand. The only ring there was that engagement ring that Finn had given her only a few weeks prior.

“So I assume there is still time?”

“Time for what exactly?”

“Time for Quinn to wake up; time for her to sweep you off your feet.”

Rachel smiled at the older blonde. She enjoyed the conversations she had with Judy Fabray. They were never dull that was for sure.

“Well as nice as this has been, I must be on my way. I am sure my fathers are expecting me by now.”

Rachel started to gather her purse and started heading towards the door. She turned around to say her goodbyes to Judy.

“I will come and visit later. It was nice to talk to you again Mrs. Fabray.”

“What did I tell you Rachel, if you are going to be my daughter`s girlfriend, call me Judy.”


	5. It Was Always Her

Rachel was driving home from Lima Medical. After all of the madness, Rachel failed to realize that it was actually Monday. She knew when she arrived home her fathers would not be there, and more importantly, Finn would not be there.

Rachel had not spoken to Finn since their argument, nor did she want to speak to the boy. She had ignored his insistent phone calls and text messages over the last couple days. What Rachel needed was time. She needed time to sort out all of her thoughts, and now she was finally getting that time.

She pulled into her driveway and entered into her home. Her fathers had left a note on the table saying they were both working late today, so Rachel would have to cook her own dinner. This also meant that she would have the evening alone with Finn.

Even though she had once loved the boy, it seemed that the more time they spent together, the more flaws she discovered. She knew she had many flaws herself, but even the little things about Finn were starting to annoy her; the way he chewed his food, the way she always had to explain things to the boy, the way he was so inconsiderate about everyone else’s feelings as well as a multitude of others. Rachel was really starting to wonder why she ever even agreed to marry the boy.

There was a time Rachel adored the boy. She fell in love with that goofy smile, tall stature, seemingly muscular body and his singing voice. He was her dream leading man. Every leading lady needed a leading man and Finn was just that. But was that all he was, a leading man? Rachel knew that she was heading off to Broadway; every leading woman in the business needed a man to keep up with her. Did she think that leading man was Finn? Could Rachel not have a leading lady instead?

Then it happened, for the tenth time that day, her mind drifted off to Quinn. Quinn had been on her mind a lot lately, even before the accident. To be honest, Quinn had been on her mind since sophomore year. She didn’t know what was so different about the blonde, but there was something about Quinn that Rachel longed for. She had never felt attracted to girls before, she was sure if she was either Santana or Brittany would be prime choices, but there was something about Quinn.

Quinn was honest, strong and kind hearted. She had so many layers to her and Rachel wanted to discover each new layer. Quinn was always a mystery to Rachel. She had never met anyone like her.

In Lima, it was not hard to distinguish who you were amongst the masses. You may have been the jock, the Lima loser, the prom queen, the nerd, etc. You always had a label, but Quinn never fit into a label. Sure she was a jock, but she was in Glee, so that also made her a nerd. She was also labelled as the “Virgin Mary”, but had Beth, so that made her a slut. She was seen as the HBIC, but she had one of the kindest hearts Rachel had ever known, so that made her friendly. She said she was going to be a Lima loser, but she got into Yale, so she was so much better than Lima.

As Rachel’s mind wondered, she failed to hear Finn come in the door. It was not until he entered the kitchen did she notice his presence. He was at least smart enough to keep his distance, but not smart enough to stop conversation.

“Hey, Rach.”

“Hello, Finn.”

He began to walk forward but Rachel shook her head. Fin stopped his advances. There were small moments where he understood and Rachel was glad that now was one of those times.

“I’ve really missed you these past few days.”

“I know, I’ve just been figuring out some stuff.”

“Did you get my calls, my texts?”

“Yes, I just needed some time alone. Sorry I didn’t answer.”

She had to apologize. Even though the boy could be an ass at times, she knew he was trying. He was trying so hard to hold onto Rachel, when she was just wishing he would let her go.

“What did you need to figure out, Rach?

“A lot of things.”

“Like?”

“I don’t know, New York, NYADA, you and me, Quinn.”

He looked up to Rachel at the mention of Quinn. She knew that Finn didn’t like her relationship with Quinn, he always seemed so jealous of the girl, but he knew now was not the time to argue with Rachel.

“What about you and me?”

“I was wondering if there still is a you and me.”

“Of course there is Rachel; nothing that happens will ever make me leave you.”

“No Finn, I was wondering if I want a you and me.”

He looked at the diva. Rachel could tell that what she had said hurt the boy. She could see faint tears well up in his eyes, but he blinked them away.

“What are you talking about, Rach?”

“I have just been doing a lot of thinking, Finn.”

“Well whatever you’re thinking, you can stop it right now.”

“Finn-”

Rachel glanced over at Finn. He was standing at full height and looking right at Rachel. He was trying to be strong, trying to hold back his tears. To be honest, Rachel was holding back some of her own. Even with his tall stature and deep voice, he looked like a small child. It hurt Rachel to know she was the cause of it.

“Rach, I can’t lose you. I can’t lose us.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this Finn, one year remember? After graduation that was it. You were going to stay here and I was going to New York and never looking back,”

“So it’s because I’m not good enough. I’m just a Lima loser right? You don’t want to drag your loser boyfriend to New York with you.”

“Finn-”

“No I get it, Rach, I’m not good enough. I’m not meant for New York right? I’m just a weight from your past.”

“That’s not it, Finn, and you know it.”

Finn glanced at Rachel before looking down at the kitchen island. He started picking nervously at the edge before he continued to speak to Rachel.

“If that’s not it Rachel, then what is the problem? A few weeks ago you were all over me, now you don’t even want to be in the same room as me.”

“It hasn’t been working for awhile, Finn. I tried so hard to want this, to want us, but I shouldn’t have to try, Finn. Love, relationships, these things should come naturally; they should just fall in place. I know I said we could grow together, but I was just kidding myself when I said that. Saying we can grow together just means we don’t fit together, but we are looking for excuses to fit together.”

“What made you decide to tell this to me now? I know you said that you have felt this way for a long time, but there has to be something else.”

Rachel looked down at the ground. She wouldn’t even dare meet Finn’s eyes right now. If she looked into those eyes, he would figure it out. And not only would Finn figure it out, but Rachel would finally admit it to herself. He didn’t know if she could do that. She didn’t know if she could admit that she loved someone else. She didn’t know if she could tell Finn that...

“It’s her isn’t it?”

And there it was, out in the open; the one thing that had been turning around in Rachel’s mind since sophomore year; Quinn. She had fought so long to keep her feelings hidden, not only from everyone, but from herself.

She took a steadying breath and looked into Finn’s eyes. Tears were beginning to pool and he looked so broken. Rachel wished she could take everything back. She wished she loved Finn; life would be so much easier. She wished she didn’t have these feelings for Quinn, she spent countless years trying to wish them away, but she could never stop loving her.

She loved Quinn Fabray.

As she continued to look at Finn, she knew he already knew the answer to his own question, but continued to ask Rachel. It was almost as if he was praying that the next time he asked it wouldn’t be true; it wouldn’t be true that his girlfriend/fiancé was in love with someone else; that person being Quinn Fabray.

“It’s Quinn right?”

“It’s always been, Quinn.”

It was this point that Finn broke down. The tears he was trying so hard to hold back were falling down his cheeks. He sat at the island on one of the stools as he felt too weak to stand. His whole world was slipping away from him and there was nothing he could do to change it.

Everything he dreamed of, a wife, a family, New York, Rachel, were all being taken from him. He wished he could pretend that he didn’t know this was coming, but it was always there; Quinn and Rachel were always there. He tried to deny it, he tried to ignore it, but the more he tried, the more he failed.

Rachel was so different. Rachel was the one person who made Finn believe in himself. Finn always knew he was going to be a Lima loser. He was going to stay in Lima after graduation, probably work full time as a bus boy, and have a small family. He would return home to his wife every day, spend some time with his kids, but he would always feel like something was missing.

Rachel filled that missing void. She made him believe that he could go to college, maybe play football. She said that he had a great voice and that maybe he could get a scholarship and major in the performing arts. When they went to New York for nationals, he could see himself living there. More importantly he could see himself there with Rachel.

Now here he sits, completely broken, and knowing that all of those dreams are no longer in reach. Finn was not meant for great things like Rachel. Rachel was his great thing. He wasn’t good enough to get a football scholarship, he wasn’t good enough to get into NYADA, and he wasn’t good enough to have Rachel.

“I’m so sorry, Finn.”

Rachel began to reach for the boy’s hand but he pulled away. He still couldn’t meet Rachel’s eyes. His tears were slowing, but as he spoke, his voice shook with the present tears that were still falling.

“Stop, Rachel. Just please don’t touch me. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“I’m so sorry, Finn. I’ve tried so hard to want this, to want us, but it’s always been her.”

“Yeah, well, guess you didn’t try hard enough.”

Rachel wanted to be angry from that comment but she knew the boy was hurt. It was not in her place at the moment to argue with him. She knew Finn had a lot of dreams invested in her, and she knew that right now, all of his dreams were crashing down around him. She didn’t want to add to his current pain. It was never her intention.

“How long Rach?”

“What do you mean, Finn?”

“How long have her loved her? Was it while we were dating? Before then?”

“It’s been awhile, Finn.”

“No, that’s not good enough.”

Finn’s words were laced with a certain venom. With every word that he spat at Rachel, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She hated to be the cause of his pain, but she also hated the way he was acting with her.

“I want to know Rach, and not since sophomore year or that kind of bullshit, I want to know the exact moment. I want to know the exact moment that you fell in love with Quinn.”

Rachel was surprised with this response. She didn’t know why Finn wanted to know this information, but she was also trying to reel back to the memory when she first knew she loved Quinn. Truth is she didn’t know if there was a certain moment that she had actually fallen in love with the blonde. She always felt it was just a series of moments that made her fall head over heels for Quinn.

Then she remembered, it was only a simple conversation, but it was the first one where she knew that she not only loved Quinn, but that Quinn loved her back.

She looked to Finn before answering the boy.

“Are you sure you really want to know?”

“I’m losing my fiancé; I’d kind of like to know what I am losing her to.”

“It was sophomore year, when we had all just joined Glee club.”

_It was the week of the mash-up performances. Mr. Shue had spilt the Glee club into two different teams, boys vs. girls. As the girls were approaching their performance, Rachel had noticed an absence of Quinn in the Glee club meetings. At this point, the whole club knew of Quinn’s pregnancy, and Rachel began to worry._

_Rachel knew that Quinn loved Glee club, even though she would never voice it. Rachel didn’t want Quinn to miss out on sharing a room with a group of people that no matter what, would accept Quinn._

_After the boys had performed, Rachel went on a search for Quinn. She found her at her locker grabbing her books for her next class._

_“I haven’t seen you at Glee rehearsals.”_

_“I’m not super woman. I know Glee is your whole life, but I have the Cheerios, I’m on honour roll, I have friends.”_

_Rachel was a little hurt at the mention that she had no friends, or that Glee was supposedly where all of her life was invested. She knew Quinn was just trying to keep her HBIC persona while in the halls of McKinley, so Rachel let it slide. There were bigger issues to tackle at the moment._

_Quinn shut her locker and began to walk away. They both knew that at this point, there was something unspoken between them. They rarely had conversations, but they always caught each other’s eye in performances, or they would brush by each other in dance sessions. There was this electricity between the two of them, but they both chose to ignore it._

_“You don’t have to be embarrassed. No one in Glee is going to judge you.”_

_Quinn stopped moving forward and paused a moment. Even though Rachel was talking about the pregnancy, she couldn’t help but feel that Rachel was hinting at something else. Something much larger; like she was hinting at them._

_Quinn turned slowly and noticed Rachel was walking towards her._

_“Look I know everyone expects us to be enemies, and to be in competition, but I don’t hate you.”_

_“Why not? I’ve been awful to you.”_

_Quinn tried to keep her tough exterior, but with the honesty and kindness Rachel was displaying, it was hard to keep the slight softness out of her voice._

_“That’s before you knew what it felt like to be me; an outsider.”_

_Quinn had to look away. She had to keep reminding herself that this was a conversation about her pregnancy and nothing else._

_“More people are going to start finding out about this and you’re going to need friends who can relate.”_

_“How can you relate to what I’m going through?”_

_Rachel wished she could be fully honest with Quinn, but she knew she couldn’t. She however knew what it felt like to be an outsider due to her bullying she received on a daily basis._

_“You don’t think people whisper about me in the lunch rooms or draw pornographic pictures of me on the bathroom walls.”_

_“That was me, actually.”_

_Rachel could tell that Quinn didn’t want to own up to the fact that it was her who drew the pictures, but she also had to hide her smile at Quinn’s confession. She was always surprised how creative those pictures were, she always assumed it was Puck who drew them, but there was a sense of hope instilled in her now knowing she might be the only one who holds these feelings. That Quinn shared them as well, but she was just afraid._

_“Look, I don’t agree with the choice your making, but you’re going to need Glee. You have seven months of your youth left, you should enjoy it. And let’s face it, in a couple of months that cheerleading uniform isn’t going to fit and we’re going to be all you have left.”_

_Quinn knew Rachel was right, even though she never expressed it; Glee was the one place she felt she could be herself. She couldn’t meet Rachel’s eyes because she knew if she did, Rachel would figure that out. The last thing she needed was Rachel to know that secret about her. She knew if Rachel could figure out that secret, she wondered how many other secrets the brunette could figure out._

_“Just come back to practice, boys vs. girls, it’s fun. We could certainly use your voice right now. You’re actually a good singer Quinn, occasionally sharp, but that’s just because you lack my years of training.”_

_Quinn couldn’t help but notice that Rachel had complimented her. She also couldn’t help but notice the fact that Rachel was the one trying to get her to come back, not Finn, Rachel. Finn hadn’t even noticed the blonde’s absence from the group._

_Yet here was Rachel, standing in front of her, trying to get her to come back, even complimenting the blonde. Quinn tried to hide her smile from the brunette, but it was nearly impossible, so she kept talking._

_“I would have tortured you if the roles were reversed you know.”_

_“I know.”_

_Rachel couldn’t help the smile that crept to her face, or she couldn’t ignore the almost smile that graced Quinn’s face. What Quinn had just said was the closest Rachel was ever getting towards an apology, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way._

_Rachel nodded curtly and began to walk away. No matter what she did she could wipe the smile off of her face. Quinn was not only going to come back to Glee, but she was going to be coming back for Rachel._

_As Rachel walked by the blonde, she could help but take a large intake of air that seemed to have escaped her lungs since talking to Quinn. The blonde always seemed to leave the brunette breathless._

_Quinn slowly turned to stare at the starlet walking away. She couldn’t help but feel adoration for the girl. After all the slushies and the name calling, Rachel didn’t hate her. She not only didn’t hate her, but she cared enough for Quinn to try and get her to come back to Glee. Rachel was usually selfish, but Quinn could tell that this time, Rachel persistence wasn’t for herself, it was for Quinn._

_Quinn had been so worried that Rachel would let her fall by the wayside after finding out about her pregnancy, but she had just stood before her and pleaded for Quinn to come back. Quinn wasn’t sure she could have fallen more in love with Rachel Berry, but in that moment, she was completely head over heels._

She now sat next to Finn at the island. She kept a good distance between her and him, and she didn’t dare meet his eye. As she told the story, she kept her eyes fixed on her folded hands. When she finished, she was met with silence. She wanted Finn to speak, but she didn’t want to push him. She knew that this was a lot of the boy to digest.

Finn looked from his hands and then looked straight forward. The tears had stopped flowing long ago but a fresh batch was forming in his eyes. He took a deep steadying breath to calm himself before speaking again.

“So that was it? Something so simple, and yet that was all it took?”

“Yeah...yeah it was just that simple.”

For the first time in a long time that night, Finn glanced over to Rachel, and Rachel met his stare. He knew in that moment that Rachel was never his. She always belonged to Quinn. He was just silently hoping that one day, Rachel would want him as much as he wanted her.

“I guess I always knew. I always felt there was something between you two,” Finn paused for a moment.

“I guess I was just hoping one day you would look at me the way you look at her. That one day, you would love me with even the fraction of love that you had for Quinn. When you said yes, I thought maybe it was my chance. That maybe you changed your mind, but with the accident happening, I guess even the universe was trying to tell me that you weren’t meant to be mine.”

“I wish it were different, Finn. I wish I could love you, but we both know I can’t. I can’t lose her Finn.”

Rachel let the tears fall down her cheeks. Finn moved on instinct and held the diva, and she didn’t pull away. His arms felt comforting around her, like they were shielding her away from the pain. She was glad he was here at the moment.

“She’ll be okay, Rach. She so strong, we both know that.”

Rachel could only nod against his chest. She was sure her voice would betray her at the moment.

“Rach, I know I shouldn’t be asking for anything, but I just want you to do one thing for me okay? “

Rachel pulled away from Finn and discreetly wiped her tears. She was afraid of what the boy was going to ask, praying he wasn’t going to ruin the only seemingly nice moment the two had shared in a while.

“I want you to be happy Rachel, no matter what, so if that means being with Quinn, you need to go get her.”

Rachel smiled at the boy. He returned it, but it didn’t fully meet his eyes.

“What if she doesn’t want me back, Finn? What if she doesn’t come back?”

“I know she wants you Rachel, everyone knows. And as for coming back, Quinn would never leave you behind. She loves you too much.”

Rachel let a few more tears fall but continued to smile. This is the kind of guy she fell in love with, the kind of guy she wish she could love now, but they both knew that could never happen.

“So I am going to get my things and leave, and you are going to get your girl okay.”

“Okay.”

That was all that was needed. That one line freed Rachel, she admitted she wanted Quinn, she let go of Finn, and she let go of her guilt. She knew Quinn was coming back to her; it was just a matter of when it would happen.

Finn walked up the stairs into Rachel’s room and began packing his things. He saw a picture of the two of them on Rachel’s bed side table. He picked up the frame and looked at the picture for a few moments. It was a picture of the two of them the summer they started dating. The two were lying in the grass looking up towards the camera. He couldn’t remember a time where they seemed happier. He placed a photo in his suitcase and continued to collect the rest of his things.

As he was grabbing the rest of his clothes from the top drawer of Rachel’s dresser, he noticed a picture hidden at the bottom of the drawer. He lifted it up and noticed it was a picture of Rachel and Quinn. It was a picture of Quinn and Rachel at the hospital, after Quinn had Beth. They both looked so happy in the photo; it was hard to ignore the fact that they loved each other.

Finn grabbed the photo and frame out of his suitcase and replaced the previous photo of him and Rachel, with the one of Quinn and Rachel. He then placed the frame back on Rachel’s nightstand.

Finn finished packing and headed back downstairs. Rachel was waiting by the door for Finn to return. She noticed the boy walking towards her and couldn’t help but pull him into a hug. They held each other for a few minutes before Finn began to speak.

“You know I love you, but if I can’t have you, I am glad Quinn will have you one day. You deserve happiness Rachel, and I know Quinn can give you that.”

Rachel nodded against his chest and thanked him. Finn took one last look at Rachel before grabbing his bags and leaving the house.

Rachel was in no mood to eat, so she headed straight for her room. It seemed a lot emptier since Finn had moved his stuff out, but it seemed more open and freeing. As she lay on her bed, her glance fell upon her nightstand. She was expected to be met with the picture of her and Finn, but was pleasantly surprised to see the one of her and Quinn.

It was at that moment that she decided that no matter what costs, Quinn would be hers. She just needed the blonde to wake up.

She didn’t want to sleep alone that night, so she grabbed her keys, left a note for her fathers and started heading towards Lima Medical.


	6. So You Decided to Take a Chance

Rachel paid for parking and parked in her usual spot. She entered through the doors and headed straight for the front desk. It was just her luck that Betty was working that evening. When Rachel had left earlier, there had been another receptionist at the desk, but now she was staring right at Betty.

“You again?”

“Y-yes...me again.”

Rachel didn’t know why she was nervous, but there was something very intimidating about Betty. Betty was an older African American woman, maybe in her mid to late forties. She was a larger build and had a set of small rimmed glasses that say on the edge of her nose. Her hair was long and braided and she had a stern voice that made Rachel fear her.

“Weren’t you here like three hours ago?”

“I might have been.”

“You really love her don’t you?”

“W-well she is my girlfriend.”

Even Rachel had a hard time believing herself. She could also tell Betty didn’t believe that line either. Maybe she wasn’t as good of an actress as she thought.

“You know I never believed that girlfriend crap, but that doesn’t mean you don’t love her. And when I say that, I know you love her as more than a friend.”

“You would be correct on both accounts.”

“You know it is awfully late Ms. Berry. Visiting hours are almost up.”

“I know, I just....I need to see her Betty.”

Betty looked at the starlet and was instantly reminded of herself. Only a few years ago, her husband was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. She remembered pleading with doctors to let her stay longer, or she would sneak in and stay the night. She knew she didn’t have to sneak in to stay the night, but they would have given her a separate room or bed, and she wanted to sleep next to her husband.

Looking at Rachel now, she could see that love and determination in her eyes. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Betty was just hoping that Rachel was luckier in this case. Betty lost her husband; she was just hoping Rachel wasn’t going to lose Quinn.

Betty pulled out the sign-in book and placed it in front of Rachel.

“Now you just sign here Ms. Berry, and if anyone asks, you left before the visiting hours were up.”

“What are you saying Betty?”

“I am saying that if you choose to spend the night with your girl, I have nothing to do with it.”

Rachel gave Betty a beaming smile before signing the book. She placed the pen down and handed the book back to Betty. She began walking towards the elevator before she heard Betty calling out to her once more.

“Oh and Ms. Berry?”

Rachel turned to look at the older woman.

“Make sure you get that mohawked boy out of here before the hours are up. And make sure he doesn’t steal anything.”

Rachel smiled at Betty and instantly knew she was talking about Puck. She always adored the boy, they had tried to date in the past, but they were always better at being friends. She considered the boy to be the brother she never had.

She approached Quinn’s room and opened the door slowly. She could see Puck sitting at Quinn’s bedside watching some sports on T.V. He was lightly holding her hand as he was explaining the score to Quinn. Rachel knew that Quinn didn’t really care for sports but she just assumed this was Puck’s way of holding it together. He was trying to keep everything as normal as possible.

“How is our girl doing?”

Puck jumped slightly before turning towards the diva. He let go of Quinn’s hand momentarily before wrapping his arms around Rachel. They embraced as Puck continued to speak.

“She is doing better; she’s off the respirator, so at least she is breathing on her own. We all know Quinn is a fighter.”

Rachel smiled at the boy because she knew this was most certainly true.

“And how is my hot Jewish princess doing?”

“Well I am managing, just had a discussion with Finn.”

“If you call breaking it off a discussion then yeah I guess.”

Puck smirked slightly as Rachel’s mouth gaped open. She really didn’t know how Puck was going to react to the news. She knew her and Puck her friends, but Finn had been Puck’s friend for much longer. It was hard to come between “bros.”

“So I guess he called you?”

“Yeah he did not too long ago. I know he was trying to be strong about it, but I know he is hurting.”

“Yeah...I know.”

Puck pulled a second chair beside Quinn’s bed and ushered Rachel to sit down. He sat down next to Rachel and held out his hand. Rachel grabbed it immediately and intertwined their fingers. This would be an intimate position for most, but it really comforted the starlet.

“You did the right thing Rach. We all knew it was bound to happen.”

“Yeah...I guess.”

“I am sure our girl Quinn here will love to hear the news.”

Rachel looked up to Quinn’s face. With the respirator gone, her face was fully visible. Though the bruises still covered a majority of her face, a lot of the initial swelling had done down. Some of the bandages had been removed or replaced. Quinn looked so peaceful; so beautiful.

Rachel reached out with her free hand and grasped at Quinn’s right hand. She slowly dragged her thumb lazily over Quinn’s knuckles before answering Puck.

“I am sure Quinn has been waiting for this day since I started dating Finn.”

Puck couldn’t help but laugh, but he knew Rachel was right. Quinn loved the starlet so much. There were often times where Puck would hold Quinn in his arms at night and let the blonde cry on his shoulder. Once the blonde had confessed her feelings that one night, he knew there was no going back.

It was when the group had travelled to New York for nationals. He felt like he knew before then, but it was the time where Quinn had finally opened up to Puck about it.

_Quinn had made her way down the hall towards the boy’s hotel room. The whole club had been trying to write a song for nationals, but they were all had no idea where to start. The girls had long ago given up on writing and started a pillow fight. Quinn saw this as her opportunity to escape, not only the wrath of Rachel Berry, but just to escape her in general._

_She approached the door and knocked softly. The door flew open and she was met with Puck. The boy immediately pulled her in a tight hug before releasing her quickly. If she ever did like boys, she would definitely date Puck. He may have appeared to be a badass, but he was a softy at heart. She really felt like she could have loved him, but there was Rachel._

_“How are you doing blondie? Came for another ride on the Puckasaurus? I can get these guys out of here for a bit if you want.”_

_Puck wriggled his eyebrows before being punched in the arm by the blonde._

_“Oww, what was that for?”_

_“You really need to ask that question?”_

_Quinn tried to feign being mad but they both broke into smiles. They knew that they were both joking with each other. They both understood that there would never be anything between them after Beth was born. It was just too hard. It also didn’t help the fact that Quinn’s heart lied with Rachel._

_“Come on in Quinn.”_

_Puck stepped aside and allowed the blonde to enter. Quinn sat in the empty chair by the desk in the room while Puck made his way to the couch. Sam and Mike were also in the room attempting to write songs but had settled for eating Doritos and playing video games._

_“What’s up Fabray?” Mike waved over his shoulder not tearing his eyes from the screen._

_“Hey Quinn, finish a song already?” Sam had said before turning back to the screen._

_“Actually the girls started a pillow fight so I slipped out of the room.”_

_Puck eyes went wide at Quinn’s statement. Quinn could tell a million fantasies were running through his head._

_“Are you crazy Quinn, pillow fights are hot, even if you’re not into chicks. I mean chicks in bras and panties screw it I am going over there.”_

_Quinn grabbed Puck’s arm and sat him back down on the couch. He looked a little disappointed that he wouldn’t get to see the pillow fight._

_“Puck you do realize that we were fully clothed, and that Kurt was in there as well.”_

_“Hey don’t ruin the fantasy, and I can handle Kurt, he is pretty much one of the girls anyways.”_

_Puck received another punch to the arm and stopped talking about the pillow fight. Puck laid back on the couch before looking over to Quinn. He could tell that the blonde had something on her mind._

_“What’s on your mind, Q?”_

_“What makes you think that there is something on my mind?”_

_“You do forget we dated for awhile, I know these things okay.”_

_“Nothing it was just Rachel was driving me nuts I had to get out of there.”_

_Quinn could tell in that moment that Puck’s mind went back to the pillow fight, and more importantly, he was picturing Rachel in a bra and panties. Quinn stood up and punched him once more before sitting back down._

_“What the hell Quinn, what did I do?”_

_“Stop thinking about Rachel in a bra and underwear you perv.”_

_“That would be hot though. I bet she has a rockin’ bod under all of those animal sweaters,” Sam piped up turning away from the video game._

_“See Sam agrees with me. Rachel is hot.”_

_“She may be hot but stop picturing her like that.”_

_All three guys in the room turned and stared at Quinn. They all had this expression on their face as if Quinn had three heads._

_“What, what did I say?”_

_“Did you just say Berry was hot?” Mike said_

_“W-what? No of course not. I mean she is attractive I guess for a girl, I mean it I was a guy I would go for her.”_

_“Oh no Quinn, you said she was hot.” Puck smirked at the blonde._

_“You know this is really starting to make sense.”_

_The three of them turned to face Sam who was sitting between the two beds eating chips._

_“What are you talking about, Sam?” Quinn had chimed in._

_“Well when we were dating, and we were making out and stuff, I always heard to moan someone’s name but I could never figure it out. After awhile, I realized you were saying Rachel.”_

_Quinn’s cheeks grew red as all the blood rushed to her face. This is not how she wanted this to get out._

_“Actually come to think of it, you are always staring at her during Glee, especially during performances. Like remember when Miss. Holiday subbed for us and Rachel and her did that number, I saw you checking her out. Not even Finn was looking at her performance.” Mike had added._

_“I wasn’t looking at Rachel, I was admiring Miss. Holiday.”_

_“Like that’s any less gay.” Puck had blurted out. “Look Q I ain’t judging, I mean you seem to have good taste and you and Rachel would be totally hot together”_

_Quinn punched Puck in the arm once more before smiling at the comment Puck had made. There was really no point in denying it now; she had the hots for Rachel Berry._

_“Okay so she’s hot, I am not going to deny that.”_

_“Do you like her?” Puck asked._

_She knew the boy was being sincere. She knew that he was not going to joke about her crush on Rachel; at most he would just make some more meaningless crude comments. That was just Puck though, he make those comments all the time, but that was his sign of caring._

_“Y-yeah...I do.”_

_Other than Santana, this was the first time she had admitted this out loud, and surprisingly it was going over really well. Puck had a knowing smile, like he always knew, and I guess she wasn’t very careful with her leering according to Mike._

_“Okay then can we talk about the Jewish elephant in the room? Ask her out dude.”_

_“Who Rachel? But she’s totally into Finn right now.”_

_“You’re in New York, the city of love.”_

_“I thought that was Paris.”_

_Quinn couldn’t help but smile at Sam’s comment. His humour was one of the reasons she dated the boy. She turned her attention back to Puck as he continued to speak._

_“Anything’s possible here. You need to ask her out tonight. Take her out on one of those big awful dates you see in those unwatchable romantic comedies that you grow a vagina if you watch all the way through.”_

_“This is your shot Q, if I was in love with a girl and I wasn’t homeless, I would totally go for it.” Sam had added._

_She could help but smile at the boy’s advice. She found it really charming that even though both had dated her, they were willing to help her out with Rachel._

_Quinn sat for a moment before grabbing her phone out of her pocket. She quickly scrolled down and found Rachel’s name before sending her a text message._

_MEET ME in CENTRAL PARK at 6pm. BE THERE at BOW BRIDGE. DRESS UP.-QUINN_

_Quinn put down her phone before looking up at Puck. He had a proud smile that graced his face. He knew that if he couldn’t be with Quinn, his Jewish princess should be._

_Quinn smiled back before her phone buzzed with an incoming text._

_“Well, I guess I have a date tonight.”_

_All the guys cheered and high fived and Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. She was so lucky to be surrounded by a group of people that no matter what accepted her. She was so lucky to have the Glee club._

_“Do you mind if I get ready here? It’s kind of hard for me to get ready for a date in the same room your date.”_

_“No problem Q, take all the time you need.”_

_Quinn smiled at Puck and the rest of the guys before heading into the bathroom for a shower._

_Quinn was now waiting at the bridge looking out onto the water. Couples were floating by in rowboats as men were singing songs of love. She couldn’t help but smile at the couples hoping that Rachel and her would one day be back in New York and they would be able to share that experience together._

_Quinn turned her head to see Rachel heading towards her. It was like something out of an old Hollywood movie. Rachel was wearing a baby blue dress with a small bow that accented her petit waist. Her hair was up in a bun that was worn to the left side of her head. She carried a faux fur shall, Quinn knowing this was fake fur as Rachel was a vegan, and she wore a pair of stunning heels that made her legs go on for days. Quinn’s breath hitched as Rachel walked towards her._

_“Hi”_

_“Hi,” Quinn smiled and blushed slightly._

_“What’s so important?”_

_Quinn was so nervous she didn’t want to say this was a date, knowing that Rachel was into Finn. She was so nervous she almost forgot the flowers that were in her hand._

_“Uh, these are for you.”_

_Quinn let a smile grace her lips as she saw Rachel beaming at the gesture._

_“I thought since you’ve been working really hard on that song for nationals, you deserved them”_

_Quinn couldn’t help but notice how Rachel’s face fell when the flowers were only as a thank you._

_“The dress, flowers, central park?”_

_“It’s...uh...a work date; totally professional.”_

_Quinn saw another smile grace Rachel’s face as she nodded her head slowly. Quinn held out her hand for Rachel to take. Rachel looked a little hesitant before Quinn began to speak._

_“This way Ms. Berry, we have reservations.”_

_Rachel beamed at Quinn’s act of chivalry before taking her hand. Quinn couldn’t help but notice how perfect their hands seemed to fit together. She slowly intertwined their fingers. Her smile only grew wider when Rachel didn’t protest the action._

_The two then found themselves at Sardi’s. Quinn had to use a lot of persuasion, but she managed to get them a table._

_“Oh my God, I can’t believe we are at Sardi’s; Sardi’s, the birthplace of the Tony award. One day they’re going to put a cartoon of me on these walls.”_

_“I like the way you dream so big, I don’t know how to do that.” Quinn paused before continuing. “You look so pretty tonight.”_

_Quinn couldn’t help the butterflies that flew around in her stomach when Rachel smiled her beaming smile. It was now or never. Now was the time to admit her feelings to the girl, sure the place may not have been ideal, but at least Rachel wouldn’t make a scene if she was completely appalled by the idea._

_“Rachel, I have something to say to you-”_

_“Oh my god, It’s Patti Lupone. Oh no, oh my god, I can’t do this”_

_Quinn couldn’t help but find it absolutely adorable that Rachel was nervous. After the years of seeing the starlet perform in front of large crowds, and hearing her dreams of being on Broadway, it was weird to see Rachel so nervous about meeting a star. Quinn knew that someday, some other girl would be doing the same thing when they saw Rachel Berry in a restaurant._

_What happened next kind of surprised Quinn, even through the girl’s nerves, she found a little bit of courage._

_“No, no I have to, if not for me, then for Kurt. I mean he would kill me if I didn’t.”_

_Rachel stood up quickly and placed herself in the pathway of Patti Lupone._

_“Excuse me, um...Ms. Lupone?”_

_Ms. Lupone stopped to look up at Rachel. It was hard to ignore Rachel no matter who you were._

_“I have to say that you’re my idol.”_

_“Well thank you that’s very sweet of you. Are you an actress?”_

_“Yes...w-well I’m in high school.”_

_“We’re in town for the national show choir championships.”_

_Quinn thought she would chime in to help Rachel’s nerves._

_“I was in choir in high school. It was my favourite class.”_

_Rachel beamed so wide when she found out that her and Patti shared something in common._

_“What’s your name?”_

_“Rachel Berry.”_

_“Well Rachel Berry, promise me one thing; you’ll never give up.”_

_“Yes Ms. Lupone, I promise.”_

_Patti reached out shaking both Rachel and Quinn’s hands before wishing them good luck. Before leaving, she placed a hand on Rachel’s arm before whispering in Rachel’s ear._

_“She’s cute.”_

_Quinn could help the beaming smile that reached her lips when she looked at how happy Rachel was. She could spend her whole life making Rachel happy just to see that smile of Rachel’s face._

_Quinn paid for the meal, even though Rachel protested, and they both walked out of Sardi’s. As they began to walk the streets, Rachel linked her arm with Quinn’s. They walked in silence for a moment before Rachel began to speak._

_“New York is like falling in love over and over every minute. Tonight felt like one of those awesome nights you see in one of those amazing romantic comedies. All we need now is just a group of street singers to serenade us and it would be perfect.”_

_As if on cue Puck, Sam, Mike and Artie emerged and starting playing soft music. It took a lot of money and begging to get them to come, but they finally agreed. Quinn could help but smile at how perfect the evening had been._

_As the boys began to play music, Quinn could fee Rachel pulling her closer as she rested her head on Quinn’s shoulder. Quinn was a little surprised at first, but she couldn’t help but smile at the gesture._

_Quinn suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to Rachel. It was now or never. If she didn’t admit her feelings now, she might ever be able to find the courage again._

_“Wait. This is the moment in those romantic comedies where I kiss you.”_

_Rachel looked a little stunned and Quinn’s heart sank slightly. The bonus is Rachel hadn’t run away yet, so that had to be some sort of good sign._

_“I thought this was just a work date?”_

_“Really?”_

_Rachel looked at Quinn pleadingly. It was almost as if she wished this could have been a real date to, that she was with Quinn, but she had Finn to worry about. But then a smile graced her lips as she began shaking her head. It was only a whisper, but Quinn heard it clearly._

_“No.”_

_Quinn couldn’t help but smile. This was all she wanted; Rachel. It was better than it was in all of her dreams. Rachel didn’t run or push her away, Rachel felt it to. Rachel shared the feelings Quinn had._

_Quinn slowly reached out to lift Rachel’s chin as she began to lean in. She closed her eyes before her heart was shattered into pieces._

_“I can’t...”_

_Quinn pulled back and looked into Rachel’s eyes. It took a lot of effort to hold back tears. She could see tears forming in Rachel’s eyes as well. Quinn knew she wanted this, but Finn was stopping her._

_“Take a chance on me.”_

_Quinn felt that tether pulling her back to Rachel, and it seems that Rachel felt it to, because she was leaning towards Quinn. Right before their lips met Rachel let out a huff of protest._

_“I’m sorry, Quinn. I can’t”_

_Rachel turned swiftly and began walking away from Quinn. Quinn wanted to follow her so bad. She wanted to chase after Rachel and pull her in a searing kiss, but she knew she couldn’t._

_Rachel suddenly turned at the end of the street. A swell of hope erupted in Quinn’s chest. Maybe, just maybe Rachel would turn around and come back to her. But just as quickly as her hope came, it left as Rachel turned and headed down the street._

_Quinn turned and looked at Puck with tears in her eyes. Puck handed the accordion to Mike before walking over to Quinn and pulling her into a hug. The blonde sobbed into the boys shoulder for what seemed like an eternity. She slowly pulled away and Puck wiped the falling tears from her eyes._

_“Come on, Quinn. You’re staying with me tonight.”_

_Puck held Quinn the entire night and let her sob on his shoulder. Puck had never seen her so sad; so heartbroken. The only time that could rival this one is when they took Beth away. Puck only wrapped his arms tighter around her and continued to hold her throughout the night._

Puck turned his head to look at Rachel. It looked as if she was in her own little world. She looked at Quinn as if she was the most precious thing in the world to her. Puck was proud of his Jewish princess, even if she couldn’t do it all those months ago, Rachel was finally getting her girl; Quinn was finally getting Rachel.

“Hey, Rachel?”

It was rare that Puck used Rachel’s actual name. He usually only called her by her nicknames he had formulated or by her last name like most people did, so she knew that this was a serious moment for Puck. What he was about to say meant a lot to him.

“Yeah, Noah.”

“Take care or her okay. Quinn deserves the world and I know you can give it to her.”

“I know Noah. Quinn deserves everything and more. I just hope that I can give her that. What if I can’t give her everything she needs?”

Tears started forming in her eyes as Puck pulled her into a hug. She returned the embrace and buried her face in his shoulder.

“All she ever wanted was you, Rachel. As long as she has you by her side, she’ll have everything she’s ever wanted.”

Rachel nodded against his chest before pulling away from the hug. She quickly wiped the tears from her face before she let a small smile grace her lips.

“Thank you, Noah.”

“Anytime my hot, Jewish princess.”

Rachel had to laugh at the term of endearment.

“Hey Rach, I’m glad it’s you. You know I’ve always loved Quinn, and I think I always will, but if I had to lose her to anyone, I am glad it’s my fellow Jew.”

Rachel smiled once again before pulling Puck into another hug. Before she pulled away, she placed a kiss on his cheek. Puck could be a sweetheart when he wanted to be, but it was a side he rarely showed. She knew this side of him was reserved for herself and Quinn; the people he loved.

“Well look at the time, I better get going. That Betty chick scares the crap out of the Puckasaurus.”

Rachel had to laugh at Puck as he began to gather his things. He placed a soft kiss to Quinn’s forehead before whispering in Quinn’s ear.

“Take care of my Jewish princess okay?”

He smiled as he pulled away and started heading for the door. He was about to leave when Rachel called his name.

“Thank you, Noah.”

“For what, Rachel?”

“For everything. For taking care of Quinn when I was being too damn stubborn.”

Puck chuckled softly before answering.

“Anytime, Rachel.”

He started to turn again when Rachel called him once more.

“Betty wanted me to tell you not to steal anything on the way out.”

Smiles graced both of their faces before Puck left the room. It was around 10 o’clock, and even though Rachel had slept until noon that day, she felt utterly exhausted. The room had a slight chill for the spring evening, so she grabbed another blanket out of the closet. She pulled the chairs back to the table and turned out the lights before sliding in next to Quinn.

Rachel pulled the blanket over herself and Quinn before moving closer to the blonde. There were a lot less wires and machinery in the room, so it was much easier to get closer to Quinn. She looked up to Quinn’s face. The moonlight that came from the window lit Quinn’s face perfectly. Rachel thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Rachel reached up and started playing with Quinn’s hair as she laid her head on Quinn’s shoulder.

“Hey there pretty girl. I’m not sure if you heard but I broke it off with Finn. It seems that you are very persuasive Ms. Fabray.”

Rachel let a small smile grace her lips before continuing.

“So now I just need you to stop being dramatic and come back to me. I need to see those hazel eyes of yours. I want to see them every morning when I wake up, and before I go to sleep. I want to spend days with you just lying in each other’s arms. I want you to come to New York and see my first Broadway show and be cheering in the front row. I want to be there when your first book gets published. I want to go to award shows with you on my arm. I want to move in together, maybe buy a cat. I want to marry you. I want to have little blonde haired and hazel eyed children running around the house. I want to grow old with you. I want everything with you Quinn Fabray, but I can’t have that if you don’t wake up for me.”

Rachel let a few tears fall down her cheeks but she quickly wiped them away. She cupped Quinn’s face softly before placing a light, lingering kiss on her lips before pulling away. She looked at Quinn’s face before whisper,

“I love you so much, Quinn Fabray.”

She kissed her once more before resting her head once again on Quinn’s shoulder. She fell asleep almost immediately. She was finally getting her girl and she couldn’t have been happier.

The sun came through the hospital room window almost blinding the diva once more. She began to stir and buried her face into Quinn’s neck.

“Are we finally waking up Ms. Berry?”

Rachel thought she had to be dreaming; she pinched herself just to make sure. She lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at Quinn, and there they were, those piercing hazel eyes were staring back at her.

“Quinn?”

“So you decided to finally take a chance on me.”

Quinn let a smile grace her lips and tears of joy began rolling down Rachel’s cheeks. Rachel was completely speechless and the only thing she could do was lean forward and press a kiss to Quinn’s lips. Quinn kissed her back.


	7. I Heard Everything

_“Are we finally waking up Ms. Berry?”_

_Rachel thought she had to be dreaming; she pinched herself just to make sure. She lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at Quinn, and there they were, those piercing hazel eyes were staring back at her._

_“Quinn?”_

_“So you decided to finally take a chance on me.”_

_Quinn let a smile grace her lips and tears of joy began rolling down Rachel’s cheeks. Rachel was completely speechless and the only thing she could do was lean forward and press a kiss to Quinn’s lips. Quinn kissed her back._

Rachel pulled back from the kiss to catch her breath. It felt like she was dreaming; that all of this was a fantasy. Rachel couldn’t grasp onto the reality that Quinn was right in front of her; Quinn was alive.

Tears of joy and pure shock began to roll down Rachel’s cheeks, and for once in a very long time, she didn’t feel the need to stop them. For once these tears were for happiness. Happiness that Rachel could once again see those hazel eyes, kiss those lips and know that every touch and taste was warranted because Quinn was finally hers.

Quinn reached up with her left hand and cupped Rachel’s face. She used the pad of her thumb to wipe away the tears that were falling down Rachel’s face.

“Why the tears pretty girl?”

Rachel smiled at the term of endearment. She had been waiting for four years to be like this with Quinn. To be able to sleep next to each other, share embraces, steal kisses and let terms of endearment roll off the tongue. Today was finally that day, and if she had to do it all over again, she wouldn’t have done it any differently.

“I assure you these are tears of pure joy.” Rachel smiled and let out a small chuckle. “These are tears of joy because I finally get to have you; I get to have us. I have waited so long for all of this; so long for you and now I get it all. It is all extremely overwhelming and amazing at the same time.

Quinn couldn’t help the beaming smile that graced her lips. Even though it pained her slightly due to all of the bruising, she could help but smile at how adorable the brunette was being.

“You were definitely worth the wait Ms. Berry.” Quinn said through a cheeky smile. “However, instead of tears, how about we do smiles for when we’re happy? You’re so beautiful when you smile.”

Rachel laughed at Quinn’s comment. Quinn could always make her smile or laugh, it was one of her many gifts.

“Okay, we can do smiles instead of tears.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence. For minutes the two just enjoyed each other’s company, basking in the feeling of togetherness; the feeling of carelessness; the feeling that there wasn’t anything to worry about. The world could be crumbling around them and they wouldn’t have batted an eye lash. The knowledge that the two could now freely be together, that at any moment they could share a kiss, was overwhelming and exciting.

They spent five minutes just looking at each other. Their eyes glancing over lips and laugh lines; it was like they were trying to remember every detail. Finally their eyes connected and the two shared a shy smile. Their cheeks grew red with embarrassment from being caught. After a nervous moment, Rachel chose to try and speak again. From being silent so long, it was almost as if she forgot every word in the English language, except one.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Quinn responded with a wide grin.

Rachel began to lean forward and placed a soft kiss to Quinn’s lips. What started as a soft brush of lips quickly deepened. The two pulled away breathlessly as Quinn lightly nipped Rachel’s bottom lip. Rachel was surprised how Quinn managed to be absolutely adorable and yet so sexy at the same time.

“Well if I only realized sooner that this is what I was missing I would have crashed my car long ago.”

“Hey, you may be alive, but you still can’t say these kinds of things yet.”

“I told you I was on my way didn’t I?”

“Okay, you can definitely no longer say the words on my way again, or I swear I will put you in the hospital myself.”

Quinn couldn’t help but laugh at the diva and Rachel couldn’t stop the smile that graced her lips. Quinn’s left hand idly played with the brunette’s hair as they looked at one another and as they yet again fell into comfortable silence.

Rachel reached up with her left hand and smoothed back some of the blonde’s bangs that had fallen in front of her eyes.

“What has been going on in that beautiful head of yours over this last week?”

Rachel leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Quinn’s forehead before resting her own against it. She let her eyes flutter shut at the contact. Quinn manoeuvred slightly to kiss the tip of Rachel’s nose before resting back in her original position. She closed her eyes at the feeling of Rachel’s warmth.

“I heard you,” Quinn responded as Rachel backed away slightly to look at the blonde. “I heard everyone actually.”

“What are you talking about Quinn?

Quinn had just slipped into the pink bridesmaids dress and glanced at herself in the mirror. Today was going to be one of the most difficult days in her life emotionally. Rachel was getting married today; Rachel was getting married today and it wasn’t going to be to her, it was to Finn. Quinn had agreed to go, agreed to support Rachel, but it was all the same pain; the same hurt. At the end of the day Quinn was losing Rachel, but she was going to support her. Even though her heart was breaking, as long as Rachel was happy, Quinn would stand by her side.

She was slipping on her white cardigan when her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text. She picked up the phone and glanced at the name realizing it was Rachel who was texting her.

WHERE ARE YOU?-R

Quinn quickly typed out a short response stating she had run home to grab her bridesmaids dress before heading over to the wedding. When she had talk to Rachel earlier the brunette stated that it was unnecessary for Quinn to run home and grab the dress, but Quinn had to. Quinn ran home to grab the dress because Rachel wanted to see her in the dress. Rachel said that she thought Quinn would look great in a bridesmaid’s dress, so Quinn was going to wear one. She was going to wear the dress for Rachel.

Quinn jumped into her red Volkswagen Beetle and pulled out of her driveway. She decided to take one of the back roads seeing as she was already late and these roads were usually vacant. As she drove along, it was her luck that she was stuck behind a tractor. She thought about passing the vehicle, but decided against it. It was hard enough to see passed the large tractor, and even though the roads were bare, she didn’t want to risk crashing with an on-coming vehicle.

Quinn began idly fixing her makeup in the mirror when she received another text from Rachel. She glanced ahead seeing that the tractor was still moving at a slow pace, so she decided to check the text.

HURRY-R

She glanced away shortly when another text came soon after. This text was a repeat of the very first text she had received when she was at her house.

WHERE ARE YOU?-R

The tractor had turned into one of the farm house driveways, but the roads seemed fairly empty. Quinn was never one to text and drive but Rachel seemed worried. Quinn quickly looked around before grabbing her phone to begin typing a text to Rachel.

ON MY WAY-Q

The moment she hit send she was hit by an on-coming pickup truck and then there was only darkness. She felt the immediate sharp pain of bones breaking and glass forming gashes on her face and limbs, and then it was just darkness. She couldn’t move or see anything, but she could hear everything. It was like as if she had been drugged, she was there but she wasn’t really there.

She could hear panicked yelling from a male voice, assuming it must of been the driver of the pickup, and then soon after the sound of sirens. There were so many voices and noises, she tried to respond but failed miserably. She wanted to scream that she was there, she was alive, but her body did not want to co-operate.

She felt her body being lifted, she could feel some of the pain, but it felt very dulled. She could feel herself being rushed to the hospital and then to into and operating room.  She had no recollection of time, she assumed hours must have flown by, but now she was wheeled into a spare hospital room.

She laid there in almost near silence, the only sound was the sound of beeping from what she assumed were the many machines keeping her stable. She felt the tube of the respirator in her throat. It almost felt as if she was choking, that her throat was swelled shut, but she was still breathing. The whole feeling was surreal.

Time passed slowly when there was no distraction. It wasn’t until she heard the door open that she was pulled out of her boredom. She heard quiet sobs, two to be exact. The two bodies made their way to side of Quinn’s bed before speaking.

“You know Q, when I told you to stop Rachel’s wedding, I didn’t mean get in a damn car accident. I just meant for you to Taylor Swift the damn ceremony and steal your girl. Leave it to you to be so damn dramatic.”

After she heard the voice, she knew the two bodies where Brittany and Santana. Quinn was always jealous of the two. They got to be together, they got to be happy. Quinn only wished for the day where Rachel would realize that she didn’t love Finn and she would come running to her.

Though the two were her best friends since first grade; they were the Unholy Trinity. It was rare to hear this kind of sadness in Santana’s voice, she was not one for tears, and Quinn wished she could reach out and hug her; or at least squeeze her hand back.

Quinn could hear the Latina break down slightly before ushering Brittany out of the room to call Rachel to see her girl; to see Quinn.

Quinn couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter at the idea of being Rachel’s girl. She also could help how her heart dropped when she heard the tanned brunette break down into full sobs. Quinn wanted to cry, to let the trapped tears fall from her eyes, but she couldn’t. She never felt so hopeless.

“Listen Q, you need to come back to us okay. I need you, Brittany needs you, your mom, but most of all Rachel needs you. You should have seen her Q, she was a mess. Did you know she was waiting for you? She even kind of blew off Finnocence. He said it’s now or never, and she chose you. She turned away from Finn and texted you.”

She wanted to cry again, to let out all of her anger and sadness. She could help but feel heartbroken at the thought of leaving all of her friends and family, the people she loved, all alone. Most of all, it pained her that she left Rachel with that feeling, that feeling of loss and heartbreak. Quinn didn’t know if she could deal with that kind of heartache if the roles were reversed.

Quinn also couldn’t ignore how her heart soared a little at the thought of Rachel choosing her over Finn; if only that were true to life. Quinn knew that no matter how much she hoped for it, the day she got Rachel would never come. At the end of the day, it would always be Finn.

“I need you hear to help me deal with Coach for the rest of the year because we both know how bad she is normally, imagine her being hormonal, were all fucked.”

Quinn wanted to smile but ultimately she knew that wouldn’t happen.

“Most of all Q, you need to come back for Rachel. She loves you so much baby girl. I had to pry her away from the door to get her to stop coming in here and cuddling you to death. She looked so broken Q. No matter the abuse that she has endured over these past few years, I’ve never seen her that lost.”

And there is was again, heartbreak. The idea of Rachel being lost, being so broken, it was a side that few ever saw of Rachel. Hearing that this was the cause, Quinn wished she wasn’t so stupid. Quinn wished she could reverse time and pull over to text Rachel or not text her at all. She was sure Rachel would have understood.

“You know Brittany is calling her, so it’s probably best you’re in a coma for that because that girl never shuts up, and I am glad that you’re in a coma so you can’t beat my ass for that comment.”

Santana was very forward with her comment but it didn’t stop Quinn from wanting to laugh. That was the thing about the Latina, even if she felt like shit, she always managed to make you smile in the most impossible of circumstances.

“Come back to us Q, or so help me god I will bring you back and kill you myself. You can’t break the Unholy Trinity, and you can’t leave Rachel.”

Quinn was once again left alone; left with the darkness. She was lying there just waiting for the next person to walk through the door. She heard nurses passing through now and then but she was waiting for someone much more important. She was waiting for Rachel.

She was left for quite some time before she heard small timid footsteps enter the room. There was no need to guess who had entered the room.

“I’m so sorry Quinn.”

There was such sadness in her voice. Quinn wanted to walk over to Rachel and pull her into an embrace. She wanted to kiss away the tears and promise that everything would be okay. But Quinn knew she couldn’t do that and it killed her.

She felt Rachel move to sit at her bedside. She felt the brunette grab her hand and run her thumb over the her knuckles. Quinn could barely feel most touches, but Rachel’s was different. Rachel’s fingertips emitted this heat that seemed to burn Quinn’s skin at the touch, but Quinn couldn’t get enough of it.

“You know the last time I was here it was under better circumstances. Just know though Quinn, I am so glad that you are okay.”

Quinn remembered the last time the two were in a hospital room. It was when Beth was born. Quinn remembered falling in love with Rachel all over again, for about the 100th time. She remembered how perfect Rachel looked holding Beth. She also could help but imagine their future when they settled down and had kids of their own. She knew Rachel would have been a great mom. She also remembered Rachel staying the night, but she also remembered being slightly disappointed when she woke up to an empty bed.

Quinn let her thoughts wander when she felt lips graze the back of her hand. The previous burn of connected skin was nothing compared to the feeling of Rachel’s lips against her knuckles. The lips were hesitant, like she knew she shouldn’t have kissed Quinn’s hand, but Quinn also knew she couldn’t stop herself. Quinn wanted to smirk but her body was failing her at the moment.

“And now I feel like I should be honest with you Quinn and it may be selfish of me to admit things to you now, but just know I love you Quinn; I love you so much. I love you so much and I wish it was you walking down the aisle with me and not Finn.”

There it was the subject of love. It was something that the two had been dancing around since freshman year. They both felt it; the pull. It was like this unknown force of gravity, like a tether, that no matter how much they tried to fight it, it always pulled them back together. They loved each other, they both knew it, but they were too scared to say it out loud.

Quinn didn’t blame Rachel for admitting it now. The blonde knew she would have done the same if the roles were reversed. She also couldn’t help the flutter in her chest at the admittance that Rachel wanted Quinn to walk down the aisle, and not as a bridesmaid, but as a bride.

“I wish it was me and you, but we both know we can’t do that. We can’t hold each other back. That’s what you said right? Let go of the past and start your future? I have Broadway and Finn and you have Yale.”

Quinn never regretted saying those things more than in this moment. She wanted Yale, yes. She wanted to let go of her past, but she wanted Rachel to do the same. She wanted for them to both let go and move on together. To both move on and achieve their dreams, but looking at the situation now, none of them were going to achieve their dreams. Quinn didn’t even know when or if she would get out of this coma, and if she did, she didn’t have high hopes if still making it to Yale. Rachel was going to marry Finn, and even though she denies it, she will either end up being a Lima loser or a failed Broadway star because Finn is going to hold her back.

 “I wish life were simple. I wish all of this didn’t happen; the accident and Finn.”

Quinn felt Rachel grip harder and she only wished she could grip back to reassure the brunette.

“Do you remember the last time I was here? It was after you had Beth. I felt like we both knew back then, that we shared these common feelings, but we just let them be. We were just us and every interaction we had was so fluid and natural.”

Quinn remembered the moment as if it was yesterday. It was often a day that plagued her dreams. It was a day that gave Quinn hope that one day she and Rachel would have a life together in the future.

“And that night we laid in each other’s arms, and I felt like I could have laid there forever and I would have been happy. But you had Puck, and I had Finn. Life got in the way for us. I wish, back then, that we would have stopped being such damn fools and admitted our feelings for each other. Then all of this, this mess, would have never existed. You wouldn’t be lying in this hospital bed and I wouldn’t be making the biggest mistake of my life.”

Quinn wished she could go back. She wished she could go back and be brave for Rachel. She wished she could go back and admit that she loved her. Now Rachel was making the biggest mistake by marrying Finn, just like Quinn made the mistake of letting Rachel go all those years ago.

Quinn could hear Rachel stirring and moving about the room. The blonde could only assume that visiting hours were up, but Quinn was wishing Rachel didn’t have to leave. The room grew quiet and Quinn assumed Rachel had left. It was not until she felt the small dip and the pressure of Rachel’s warm body next to her that she realized that the brunette hadn’t left yet.

“I just need to stay with you tonight. I just don’t want to be alone”

Afternoon fell upon them and Quinn felt Rachel stir at the bright light that entered the room. She felt Rachel bury her head further into her neck before lifting her head to be left with Judy.

“Well isn’t this a little bit of a surprise?”

“Hello Mrs. Fabray.”

“You know I am really getting a sense of déjà vu.”

Quinn could not feel more thankful than at this moment that she was in a coma. She knew her mother supported her relationship with Rachel, and she knew that she supported her being gay, but this was an embarrassing position to be in when your mother is in the room, especially with an almost married woman.

“You still didn’t take my advice did you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I expected you and Quinn to be an item by now.”

Quinn always loved her mom the most out of the two of her parent, even before she was pregnant. Judy just understood the blonde and she always supported her. When Quinn came out to her mom, she didn’t even bat an eyelash; she just questioned when she was going to sweep Rachel away from Finn.

“Things change I guess. I think we both realized we were meant for bigger things and that we didn`t want to hold each other back.”

“You can feed me all the excuses in the world, but I know it`s a load of bull crap.”

Quinn was surprised that her mother was being tame with her words, Judy Fabray was always known for having a dirty mouth, but she assumed she was being civil for Rachel. Quinn wanted to smile at the interaction between Rachel and Judy. Judy always treated Rachel as if she was her own daughter and Quinn admired her mother for that.

 “I heard you were getting married.”

“You heard right.”

“Did you do it yet?”

“Do what?”

“Get married?”

Quinn was surprised how straight forward her mother was being, but was also silently thanking her for it. Judy always had her daughter’s best interests at heart, especially when it came to Rachel.

Quinn waited for Rachel’s response but failed to hear it. She heard small movements and assumed that they gave Judy her answer.

“So I assume there is still time?”

“Time for what exactly?”

“Time for Quinn to wake up; time for her to sweep you off your feet.”

Quinn was surprised at her mother, but it also gave her more motivation to wake up and leave this hospital to find Rachel and claim her.

There was a long break of silence before Rachel decided to respond.

“Well as nice as this has been, I must be on my way. I am sure my fathers are expecting me by now.”

Quinn heard Rachel gathering her things. She didn’t know how to feel at Rachel’s lack of response, she knew that they loved each other, but it seemed to reinforce that fact that Rachel will always go back to Finn. That love sometimes isn’t enough.

“I will come and visit later. It was nice to talk to you again Mrs. Fabray.”

“What did I tell you Rachel, if you are going to be my daughter`s girlfriend, call me Judy.”

If Quinn could, she would have a beaming smile on her face. Quinn was so happy to see how much Judy had grown over the past few years since her pregnancy. Leaving her father was the best thing for the two of them. It really brought them together.

Judy stayed for a few hours to keep Quinn company before there was a knock heard at the door. Heavy footsteps followed, making Quinn assume that the person was male, and now she was just hoping it wasn’t Finn.

“Hello. Ms. Fabray. How is she doing?”

“Hello, Noah. Honestly, she’s not doing so great, but I have faith she will come back to us.”

“You look like you need some time away. I can stay with her if you want to get some sleep or some dinner?”

“Thank you, Noah that would be lovely.”

Quinn heard her mother leave before she felt Puck sit at her bedside. Even though she couldn’t see him, she could tell he was nervous, scared even. She knew that he didn’t like hospitals; he couldn’t go in one after Beth was born, but she was happy he was here now. She felt him reach out and grab her hand.

“Don’t you think you are being a little dramatic, Q. I mean right now you may be able to even rival Rachel.”

She wanted to punch him in the shoulder and yet laugh at the same time. This kind of reaction always happened with Puck. He would say something slightly offensive, yet true, which made you hit him but also made you laugh because of how true to life it was.

“Look I really am not good at this talking stuff, Quinn. I mean I wasn’t sure if I was even going to come today but I had to have a little heart to heart with you I guess.”

Quinn loved Puck, she truly did. He had this tough and rugged exterior and yet on the inside he was as harmless as a puppy. He was strong when you needed him to be, but he also knew how to let a few tears fall. She could have really loved him, but Puck was no Rachel Berry.

“Look Q, you need to stop being stubborn and wake up okay. How could you have been so stupid to text and drive? Did you not pay attention to those accident videos they showed us a few weeks ago? That shit was messed up.”

Quinn knew it was stupid, and she paid attention, she just didn’t want to worry Rachel at the time. However, it was all backfiring on her now.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I really didn’t want to come and give you a lecture.  Am sure if you hear all this you know how stupid it all was. What I really came here to say was you need to wake up. I need you to come back for my Jewish Princess. You know she is like my little sister; she’s part of my family and it sucks to see her like this; to see her hurting.”

Quinn wanted to cry. She wanted to tell Puck she was trying so hard to wake up, but it was all worthless. Then she felt herself take a breath, not by the machine, but on her own. The previous choking feeling only intensified and she could hear Puck calling for a nurse. When a few nurses came in, they removed the tube from her throat and Quinn could feel herself take a breath.

“Well it looks like Ms. Fabray is a fighter. She is breathing on her own; looks like she is quickly on her way back to planet earth.”

Quinn could hear the nurses grabbing the equipment and wheeling it out of the room. She then felt the presence of a slightly flustered Puck sit back down next to her bed.

“Dammit Q, don’t scare me like that.” He paused for a moment before speaking again. “Well at least I know you are still fighting for your girl. That’s all I can ask for.”

Puck turned on the T.V before grabbing Quinn’s hand. He went on about the teams playing, certain players, different stats, the score and the different plays that were made. Quinn didn’t really care for sports, she never did, but she appreciated the gesture. Puck was trying and that was all she could ask for.

A few hours had passed before someone else had entered the room, Quinn didn’t have to guess this time, she could smell the lavender shampoo; it was the smell of Rachel. Quinn assumed that not only could she breathe on her own again, but the rest of her senses were coming back to her.

“How is our girl doing?”

Quinn couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter once more at the idea of being Rachel’s girl. She also felt her breath catch in her throat and thought for a split second that she might need the respirator again.

“She is doing better; she’s off the respirator, so at least she is breathing on her own. We all know Quinn is a fighter.”

“And how is my hot Jewish princess doing?”

“Well I am managing, just had a discussion with Finn.”

“If you call breaking it off a discussion then yeah I guess.”

Quinn was surprised at what Puck had just said. Did he really say that Rachel broke it off with Finn? Quinn wanted to punch Puck yet again for leaving that very important piece of information out earlier.

“So I guess he called you?”

“Yeah he did not too long ago. I know he was trying to be strong about it, but I know he is hurting.”

“Yeah...I know.”

Quinn couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for Finn, of course she loved Rachel and wanted her more than anyone else in the world, but she also knew what it felt like to lose Rachel; to lose the love of your life, and she wouldn’t place that heartache on anyone.

“You did the right thing Rach. We all knew it was bound to happen.”

“Yeah...I guess.”

“I am sure our girl Quinn here will love to hear the news.”

“I am sure Quinn has been waiting for this day since I started dating Finn.”

Quinn couldn’t deny how true that statement was. The blonde had been waiting since freshman year to be with Rachel but Finn always seemed to get in the way. Whether he was chasing after Quinn or chasing after Rachel, Finn seemed to form a barrier that kept the two from being together.

The two were now sitting beside each other in comfortable silence. She always thought that the relationship between Puck and Rachel was extremely sweet. He was her big protector and he would never let anyone hurt her. He was her big brother. The long silence ended when Puck began to speak.

“Hey, Rachel?”

“Yeah, Noah.”

“Take care or her okay. Quinn deserves the world and I know you can give it to her.”

“I know Noah. Quinn deserves everything and more. I just hope that I can give her that. What if I can’t give her everything she needs?”

Quinn could hear Rachel begin to sob and she wanted to pull the brunette into a tight embrace. If only Rachel knew that she was everything she needed, she was everything she wanted, but it seemed like Puck had read her mind. She could hear the boy shift and Rachel’s cries become muffled by his chest.

“All she ever wanted was you, Rachel. As long as she has you by her side, she’ll have everything she’s ever wanted.”

The blonde was never more thankful that Puck was there to comfort the brunette. She could hear Rachel’s sobs slowed and her pull away from Puck.

“Thank you, Noah.”

“Anytime my hot, Jewish princess.”

Quinn’s heart soared at the sound of Rachel’s laughter. It was one of her favourite sounds. She would make it her life goal to always make Rachel laugh and smile. That was when she was the most beautiful

“Hey Rach, I’m glad it’s you. You know I’ve always loved Quinn, and I think I always will, but if I had to lose her to anyone, I am glad it’s my fellow Jew.”

The blonde knew that Puck had loved her, and she wished she could have loved him back with the same passion, but they knew they could never be. She knew that feeling, that feeling of wanting something you could never have, and she wished she wasn’t the cause of that terrible feeling. She was also kind of sad that she now had a second chance but Puck would never have that. Quinn just had to believe that one day Puck would find an amazing girl that would make him feel the way that Rachel made her feel.

“Well look at the time, I better get going. That Betty chick scares the crap out of the Puckasaurus.”

Quinn wasn’t exactly sure who this Betty was, but it must be someone from the hospital as Rachel let out a small laugh. Quinn heard Puck gather his things before she felt him press a kiss to her forehead.

“Take care of my Jewish princess okay?”

Quinn would always take care of Rachel no matter what. 

“Thank you, Noah.”

“For what, Rachel?”

“For everything. For taking care of Quinn when I was being too damn stubborn.”

“Anytime, Rachel.”

She heard Puck exit the room after another mention of Betty, and now it was only her and Rachel. She heard the shuffling of chairs before she felt the hospital bed dip once more and a blanket being draped over herself and Rachel. She felt Rachel rest her head on her shoulder and her begin to play with the ends of her short blonde hair.

“Hey there pretty girl. I’m not sure if you heard but I broke it off with Finn. It seems that you are very persuasive Ms. Fabray.”

Quinn definitely heard, it wasn’t something she would ever miss coma or not. She wanted to chuckle at Rachel’s persuasive comment.

“So now I just need you to stop being dramatic and come back to me. I need to see those hazel eyes of yours. I want to see them every morning when I wake up, and before I go to sleep. I want to spend days with you just lying in each other’s arms. I want you to come to New York and see my first Broadway show and be cheering in the front row. I want to be there when your first book gets published. I want to go to award shows with you on my arm. I want to move in together, maybe buy a cat. I want to marry you. I want to have little blonde haired and hazel eyed children running around the house. I want to grow old with you. I want everything with you Quinn Fabray, but I can’t have that if you don’t wake up for me.”

Quinn could hear Rachel being to cry and she felt hot tears hit her hospital gown. She felt Rachel cup her face before she felt the brunette’s lips on her own. Quinn would have given anything in the moment to be able to kiss Rachel back, but for now, she would just bask in the moment of Rachel kissing her.

 “I love you so much, Quinn Fabray.”

She felt Rachel kiss her lips once more before resting her head back on her shoulder. She was sure this was all a dream, but if it was, she never wanted to wake up. As Rachel fell into a deep sleep, Quinn managed to regain some movement in her fingers to grasp Rachel’s shirt. Quinn took a deep breath before faintly whispering,

“I love you too.”

Quinn looked into Rachel’s eyes as she told her everything. She could see tears of joy well up in Rachel’s eyes, but they didn’t fall. Quinn had heard everything and Rachel couldn’t have been happier.

“I heard everything you said Rachel, and I want it all, and I want it all with you. I however don’t want to rush this, rush us. There is so much more to learn about each other and I want to spend every day learning everything about you Rachel Berry.”

Rachel let out a small laugh as a beaming smile graced her lips. She leant down to Quinn before pressing her lips to the blonde’s. The two kissed as if the act of stopping the kiss would bring their death. They kissed and were afraid to stop. They were afraid to stop in fear that this was all a dream and once they parted they would wake up to a sad reality.

The two parted and gasped for air. They looked at each other almost surprised that they were still there; that this was in fact real.

“Well then Ms. Fabray, I guess there is only one question to ask then.”

“And what question would that be Ms. Berry?”

“Would you, the gorgeous Quinn Fabray, grant me the honour of being my girlfriend?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Quinn smiled as she leaned in for another kiss. She finally got her girl.


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Rachel was just entering the Lima Bean to grab something to drink before heading over to see Quinn. Ever since that day, Rachel found it to be almost impossible to stay away from the blonde. Sadly her education came first, and Quinn was adamant about her going to school, so Rachel did her best not to fuss about the situation. Being back at school meant Rachel could hardly spend nights at the hospital anymore, sometimes she would sneak in on the weekends, but it was never enough. Rachel could never get enough of Quinn.

The brunette picked up her chai tea latte and an apple danish for Quinn; it was the blonde’s favourite and Rachel knew Quinn never really cared for the hospital food. Rachel jumped into the family hybrid before pulling out of the Lima Bean parking lot to start heading towards Lima Medical. It was Saturday, one of Rachel’s favourite days, because it meant she could spent the entire day and night with the blonde without having to worry about school and without being exhausted from school work and Glee Club.

Rachel pulled into her usual spot before paying for parking and heading over to the front desk. She was happy when she saw Betty typing away at her computer. Over the course of the almost two weeks that Quinn has been in the hospital, Rachel and Betty had formed a certain understanding; a subtle friendship. Rachel approached the front desk to reach for the sign in book. Betty didn’t even need to move her eyes from the screen to know who was signing in.

“Well well, Ms. Berry, what a surprise,” Betty half mocked the brunette.

“Very funny, Betty.”

“Well dear, you almost made it a full 24 hours. I’d say that’s a new record.”

“I did bring a second danish, but is you keep mocking me, I am sure Quinn would love to have two.”

Betty moved her gaze from her computer before her eyes fell upon Rachel. Rachel was a sweet girl, she was like a daughter that she never had. Betty never had children, she tried many times but it was impossible, so she felt almost motherly towards the brunette. Betty could see why Quinn adored the starlet, it was hard not to. Betty looked at Rachel’s smiling face and couldn’t help but form a smile of her own.

“I would never think to poke fun at you dear,” Betty said with a smirk.

“Mmhmm, I am sure you would never. You are lucky I am feeling generous today,” Rachel said through a smile.

“You’re lucky I’m generous everyday and I let you see Quinn and that I let you stay the night.”

“Touché Betty.”

Rachel placed the second danish on a napkin before handing it to Betty. She grabbed one of the extra pens from the cup sitting upon the counter and began signing her name in the book. Despite the large number of people who resided in the hospital, Rachel had managed to almost take up a whole sign-up sheet with just her name. She felt slightly accomplished but also sad that all the other people were alone and had no one visiting them. Rachel placed the pen back in the cup before give Betty a beaming smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Betty.”

“I’ll make sure to have the coffee.”

It was a small tradition that the two had started. On the nights where Rachel would stay with Quinn, she would wake up around 5 or 6 in the morning to have coffee together. They would talk about their weeks or about irrelevant things, but Rachel really enjoyed that time with the older woman. She would sit with her for a few hours before the hospital got busy, and when it finally did, she would say her goodbyes and head back to Quinn’s room to catch a few more hours of sleep. Rachel was happy to have Betty; the woman was kind of like a mother figure to the starlet. Sure Rachel had her dads, she even had Shelby, but neither of them filled that missing gap in her life quite like Betty did.

It was only a little after nine when Rachel entered into Quinn’s room. When Rachel looked to see her girlfriend, she couldn’t help but find it absolutely adorable to find she was sleeping. Rachel placed her tea and Quinn’s danish on the small table in the room before crawling into the small bed with Quinn. The brunette rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder before throwing her arm and leg over the blonde. Rachel felt utterly exhausted, so it was easy to fall asleep almost immediately. Rachel got so used to falling asleep next to the blonde, that when she was at home, she never got more than a few hours.

A few hours had passed before Rachel stirred awake at the feeling of fingers running through her hair. She opened her eye slightly to look up had Quinn. The blonde was staring back at her with her gorgeous hazel eyes and she had a smitten look on her face. Rachel smiled before closing her eyes once more and burying her face further into Quinn’s neck.

“Well good morning to you to,” Quinn said through a quiet chuckle.

“Morning baby, I missed you,” Rachel said through a voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s been less than 24 hours babe,” Quinn smiled and kissed the top of Rachel’s head.

“Are you and Betty out to get me today or what?”

“Yes Rachel, me and Betty team up personally to tease you.”

“I knew it.”

Rachel lifted her head and tried to feign a frown but it was impossible. As soon as she stared into Quinn’s eye she broke into a wide toothy grin. Rachel was so smitten with this girl; so in love. She didn’t realize how long she had been staring before Quinn spoke up.

“You know I love you Rach, but you are getting that crazy look in your eye babe,” Quinn started to laugh.

“I am not,” Rachel couldn’t help but join the blonde.

“What are you thinking about then pretty girl?” Quinn said as she brushed a few pieces of hair out of Rachel’s face.

“I was just thinking about how much I love you.”

“Good answer.”

“I thought so.”

The two let out a small chuckle before looking at each other. They laid there for minutes just looking into each other’s eyes. Rachel rested her chin on Quinn’s shoulder as she continued to look at the blonde. Rachel could tell that Quinn had something on her mind.

“What’s on your mind baby?”

“Well first, I am wondering why I have not received my good morning kiss yet.”

“I am so sorry, where are my manners?” Rachel said in a teasing tone.

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

“Well I guess we both need to brush up on our manners, huh?”

“Mhmm”

Quinn let out as she firmly pressed her lips to her girlfriend’s. The kiss was chaster than others they have shared but it held a sweetness to it. Rachel pulled away from the kiss before placing a kiss to Quinn’s nose, her cheek and finally her jaw line as she rested her head back on Quinn’s shoulder.

They two just basked in each other’s company for lengthy minutes. Rachel’s ear was pressed to Quinn’s chest and she could hear the blonde’s faint heartbeat and the sound of her breathing. Rachel played with Quinn’s fingers as they lay in the bed surrounded by silence. Rachel could hear Quinn take a deep breath and sigh.

“What’s going on in that head of yours baby?” Rachel asked as she kissed Quinn’s collarbone.

“The doctor came to talk to me today. They are going to go through all the medical stuff today. I told him to hold off until you got here because, to be honest, I’m terrified Rachel.”

Quinn said as a lone tear streaked down her cheek. Rachel reached up with her right hand and used the pad of her thumb to wipe away the tear. She kissed the blonde’s cheek before speaking to her girlfriend once more.

“Babe, just know that no matter what happens, I will always be here okay,” Quinn nodded as Rachel continued. “The important thing is you are here, you are alive, and that is all I ever needed. You could be a vegetable for all I care and I would love you all the same.”

Rachel smiled at the blonde and Quinn returned it. Rachel leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Quinn’s lips before pulling back. As Rachel looked to Quinn once more, she could tell that the blonde was still holding back something. Rachel grabbed Quinn’s hand and kissed her knuckles in attempt to persuade the blonde to tell her.

“What else are you not telling me about?”

“We’ll wait for the doctor okay?”

“Quinn you can tell me it’s oka-”

“I can’t feel my legs babe. I tried to hide it from you, my mom and everyone, but I can’t feel them baby. I am so scared.”

Quinn body racked with sobs. She tried to be so strong for everyone, especially Rachel, but the news and the idea of her not walking again was really weighing down on her. She didn’t want to put Rachel through that, to force Rachel to always take care of her, but she knew that no matter what Rachel would be there by her side. It made her fall even more in love with the brunette.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn and let the blonde’s tears fall. She knew she didn’t need to tell Quinn that she would always be there, that no matter the outcome Rachel would push a wheelchair around until the day she died. She knew the blonde just needed to let her tears fall, to let go of all the stress and the worry of the situation. Rachel just pressed soft, reassuring kisses to any exposed skin that she found. She just needed to be there and that is what she was doing.

The two were lost in their own world when they heard a soft knock at the door. They turned to see one of Quinn’s doctors come in with a clipboard that was surely full of Quinn’s results. He went a little wide eyed catching the girls in such an intimate position, but he just gave a soft smile before grabbing one of the taller chairs and sitting at the end of Quinn’s bed.

“Sorry to interrupt ladies, but Betty let me know that Rachel had arrived, so I thought now might be a time to go over all of the technical aspects of your condition after the accident.”

“Y-yeah, now is a good a time as ever right?” Quinn replied a little unsure.

“Are you sure you don’t want your mom here babe? I can go and call her if you want?”

“No it’s okay. I just want to get this part over and done with.”

Rachel propped herself up against Quinn’s pillows to be in a slightly more appropriate position when talking to the doctor. She reached out and grabbed Quinn’s hand before interlacing her fingers. Rachel gave a small squeeze before giving the blonde a reassuring smile and turned back to the doctor.

“Well I can tell you there is very good news with this bad news you have been hit with.”

“What exactly is wrong with her, Dr....?”

“Roberts, Dr. Roberts.”

Rachel let a small smile grace her lips as the familiar name fell off the man’s tongue. She couldn’t help but remember the summer evenings where Quinn and her would watch The OC until the early hours of the morning. They would wake up and find themselves embarrassingly tangled with each other and would quickly pull away.

“Well Quinn, I don’t know how you did it, but you are an extremely lucky girl.”

“Aside from getting Rachel over here to be my girlfriend, how would you exactly call me lucky?”

“What you have Quinn is temporary paralysis. When the car struck you, the airbags really reduced a lot of the impact. If you had only been an inch or two further, you most likely would be here today.”

Rachel let a few tears fall, as did Quinn, before the blonde brought the brunette’s hand to her lips and kissed the girl’s knuckles.

“Instead of fracturing one of your vertebrates, there is only major swelling primarily around your C7 vertebrate, leaving your legs temporarily paralyzed.”

“So where is the good news?”

“Well the good news is that in a few months, you will most likely walk again Quinn. We start the treatment by giving you an abundance of medication to reduce the swelling around your vertebrate, and then we will start with physiotherapy.”

Both Quinn and Rachel couldn’t contain their joy at the news. They shared chaste kisses and long embraces, surely making an awkward situation for the doctor, but they could have cared less. The possibility of Quinn walking again meant they both got a second chance. Rachel got her second chance at true love now being with Quinn, and the blonde now had the chance to pursue her dreams; they both did and they were going to live out their dreams together.

Dr. Roberts continued to explain the types of medications Quinn would have to take, the side effects and the dangers, and also stating that they needed Judy’s permission to administer the drugs to the blonde. They also went through the different types of exercises and workouts she would have to do while in physiotherapy as well as at home once she is discharged from the hospital.

The three shared thank yous and your welcomes before Dr. Roberts left the room. Rachel curled into Quinn and just held the blonde as Quinn rubbed soft circles on her lower back and kissed the top of Rachel’s head.

“We got really lucky didn’t we?”

“We sure did, and in a lot more ways than one.” Quinn whispered and then kissed the brunette’s forehead.

“Do you want me to call everyone, the Glee Club maybe to celebrate the good news?”

 “Yeah in a bit, but first, I want to spend a little time with my girlfriend.”

“Do you want me to go get her because I can leave?” Rachel said through a sly smile.

“Very funny, Ms. Berry.”

“I thought so.”

An hour later, Rachel had texted the entire Glee Club to come visit Quinn in the hospital. Both Rachel and Quinn were planning on holding off on speaking their relationship, sure they were happy that they were finally together, but they felt it might have been a little soon. They wanted the Glee Club to know of the good news they had received earlier about Quinn’s condition; that was what was important right now. Puck was the first to arrive followed shortly by both Mike and Tina. The three had decided to carpool since Puck’s truck had broken down once again. Kurt and Mercedes arrived shortly after with shopping bags in hand, apparently there was a huge sale at the mall. Rory and Sam arrived after the two divas. Artie said he would try to visit but he was out of town visiting family. Then Santana and Brittany arrived last making up some horrible excuse about plumbing problems which everyone knew was an excuse for sex, which Brittany made sure everyone knew.

 The group shared excited stories of what Quinn had missed at school and during the Glee Club. They were all having a generally good time, but there was a certain tension; that tension came with the absence of Finn. Everyone was overjoyed that the wedding was cancelled, some even happy at the news that Rachel broke it off, but the future of the situation still loomed over their heads. Santana decided to break the awkward tension by getting into the real reason they were all there.

“Look Q, we all know I love you to death, but what was so damn important that you had to drag us all over here on a perfectly good Saturday.”

“San, that’s mean. I promise we can get our sweet lady kisses on later.” Santana blushed at Brittany’s comment.

“Yeah baby mama, I know that everyone loves the Puckasaurus here, but I can tell you have something else you really want to say.”

“That is true.” Quinn smiled at Puck.

“Plus you don’t even really like me,” Rory said.

“That is because you are a freakish leprechaun who should really just go back to Ireland.”

“Okay Santana, we get it, you don’t like the kid,” Kurt replied slightly annoyed.

“Well when he tries to steal your girlfriend you automatically create a problem with me. And besides I can’t help it when my inner decides Snix comes out.”

“Okay can we be civil for five minutes people?” Rachel interrupted in a booming voice.

The entire club stopped their bickering and focused their attention on Rachel. Despite her small stature, she could really command and audience; she could definitely control the Glee Club. The group of teens remained quiet as they waited for either Rachel or Quinn to speak.

“Well I have some good news.”

Quinn paused for a moment as she thought of the best way to approach the subject. The only person who had truly known about her paralysis at all was Rachel and she had only found out a few hours ago. As Quinn was lost in thought, Santana felt the need to throw in her two cents.

“Listen baby girl, I love you, but you need to spit it out sometime.”

Rachel smiled at the Latina. It was not often that many people saw the softer side of Santana, aside from Brittany. This side of her was only shown around the people she truly cared about; her girls. Brittany and Quinn were her girls; they were the unholy trinity. As Rachel wore a smile, the rest of the club wore looks of confusion clearly not used to the Latina being so nice. The clubs looks of confusion quickly turned to fear as Santana glared at each and every one of them.

“Well I guess to get to my good news I should start with the bad. After my accident, I couldn’t feel my legs. Everything from my hips to my toes was completely numb. I didn’t want to startle anyone or worry anyone with the news, so I just kept quiet about it.”

Quinn took a pause as Rachel reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. She gave the blonde’s hand a reassuring squeeze to encourage her to continue before lazily dragging her fingers across Quinn’s knuckles. A few of the Glee Club members looked surprised at the gesture, mostly Kurt, Mercedes and Rory, but the rest were silently cheering inside.

“I guess now would be a time for good news?”

“That might be nice blondie,” Puck replied.

“The good news is it only temporary paralysis. There is major swelling around my C7 vertebrate, which means in will take a couple of months on physiotherapy and medication, but there is an extremely good chance I will walk again.”

“That is great news Quinn!”

“So wait, you’ll be just like Artie right?” Brittany asked.

“She’ll only be in a wheelchair for a few months babe and then she will be back to her usual self,” Santana replied.

The whole club rushed over to Quinn to indulge in hugs and to speak words of congratulations. It was Puck, Santana, Brittany and Sam who were giving the most affection, but the other club members also basked in the joy of the good news.

“Okay guys don’t break her,” Rachel said through a laugh.

“Babe, it’s okay, they won’t break me,” Quinn replied.

The group turned to Quinn and gave her a confused look. The blonde was unsure of why everyone was staring at her that way until she looked to Rachel. The starlet had a slightly panicked look on her face and it was that moment that Quinn realized her error.

“Hold up, did you just call the Hobbit babe?”

“But San, you call me babe.”

“I know sweetheart, but you’re my girlfriend, I am allowed unless...”

“God please tell me you guys are hooking up. That would be so hot.” Puck voiced before getting a swift elbow to the ribs from Rachel.

“We might as well tell them Rach.”

“Alright, well after my discussion with Finn, I came to the hospital to see Quinn. I spent the entire night with her.”

“Wanky”

“Santana!” Quinn scolded the Latina but knew that Santana was secretly happy for them.

“Anyways, when I woke up that morning, Quinn was awake. She told me she heard everything I said and I don’t know? We just knew that we were meant to be together.”

“Then she asked me to be her girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”

The entire group turned to face the door of the hospital room only to be met with Finn. The colour in Rachel’s face was soon flushed out and was now a pale white. Quinn kept eyeing both Rachel and Finn worried about all the possible outcomes of this situation. Despite knowing the fact that Rachel had left Finn, she didn’t really know the nature of the discussion. She didn’t know if it was a clean spilt leaving them friends, or if it was world war III. She was just praying it wasn’t the latter option.

“F-Finn, what are you doing here?” Rachel asked with a nervous quiver

“I...umm...I-I got your text. I guess I am a little late. Or I wasn’t supposed to get it at all.”

“No Finn, you have a right to be here.” Quinn replied seeing as Rachel was having what looked like an internal meltdown.

“I’m sorry Quinn, but...this would be a whole lot easier to accept if you didn’t talk.”

“Okay I get that your upset Finn, but you do not have the right to talk to Quinn like that.”

“To be honest Rachel, it would help if you didn’t talk either.”

“Okay Finnocence, I get that you are upset about Rachel here leaving your ass, you have a right to be, but that doesn’t give you the right to be a complete ass hat.” Santana replied angrily.

Santana had hated the boy ever since he forced her out of the closet. Sure she was a bitch, and sure she shouldn’t have insulted him, but outing her in front of the school was crossing the line. She didn’t have time to accept herself fully, to tell any of her friends and family; to even tell Brittany. Nothing would ever make that day okay in her books. Not even the pathetic attempt he made to apologize to her through song. That is something he can never take back and it is something Santana would never forgive him for. She would be damned if he ruined another moment between Rachel and Quinn. She would not let the boy destroy her friend and her girlfriend.

“I’m just going to go before I lose my temper.”

“That sounds like a plan Frankenteen.”

“Yeah, it is really upsetting when you hurt chairs,” Brittany replied easing some of the tension in the room.

Finn face went slightly red from embarrassment. He turned and began to head out the door. Rachel didn’t know what she was doing but she started to get up to follow him out the door and into the third floor hallway. Before she reached the door, Quinn called out to her.

“Hey babe, where are you going?”

“I...I just need to talk to him.”

“Okay, just be careful for me.”

“Always.”

Rachel quickly made her way to Quinn’s bedside before placing a quick peck to the girl’s lips. She flashed a reassuring smile to the blonde and gave everyone else a timid smile before heading out into the hallway. Quinn watched as her girlfriend walked out the door before the Latina interrupted her thoughts.

“You’re really just going to let her go out there?”

“She just needs to talk to him. I trust her.”

Quinn gave a nervous smile to Santana. She trusted Rachel with all of her heart, and she always would, she just didn’t trust Finn. She knew her girlfriend just wanted Finn to have closure. She wanted to ease the boy into the idea of them and hoping he would learn to accept it; Quinn knew he never truly would. He may support Rachel in her decisions, but he would never fully support them as a couple. Quinn was just hoping Rachel wouldn’t get hurt being caught in the middle.

Rachel walked out the door of Quinn’s room before looking in both directions and spotting Finn standing in front of the elevator doors. The look on his face did not look entirely pleased, but he seemed well mannered enough for the brunette to approach. Rachel slowly walked towards the boy before calling out his name.

“Finn?”

The tall boy looked down and met the diva’s gaze before looking away. In the brief moment that their eyes connected, Rachel could see an emotion she knew all too well; he was heartbroken. She had had that same look many timed before, but more importantly, she had seen the same look in Quinn’s eyes many times in her high school career.

“Hey, Rach. Listen I am sorry about back there, I didn’t mean to be a dick about it.”

“It’s fine Finn, I get it. Do you maybe want to grab a coffee? Maybe talk for a bit?”

“I don’t know Rach I’m-“

“Please?”

Finn looked back at the small brunette and saw the need in her eyes. It was not matter of if the two were going to talk about it but it was a matter of when. Rachel needed to talk about her relationship with Quinn and Finn needed to sit, listen and try to accept it. Finn knew he never would, he would try so hard, but he didn’t know if he could ever get to that point of being okay with it. Not anytime soon at least. Finn looked into the starlet’s eyes and knew that if they didn’t talk now, she would surely hunt him down later.

“Okay Rach. Coffee would be great.”

The tall boy gave the diva a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes; she didn’t expect it to. She gave him a small smile in return and a curt nod before leading the boy inside the elevator. The two walked in silence as they headed towards the hospital cafeteria to grab their coffees. They really didn’t know what to say to one another. It was hard to make light conversation when they knew that an extremely heavy one was about to happen, so they just stayed quiet.

Rachel found the two a small table in a quiet corner of the cafe. She waited patiently as the boy waited in line to get their drinks. She sat there watching the boy, her once future husband, and began to think how she was going to explain this all to the boy. She knew the boy supported her want to be with Quinn, and he said he would be happy, but she was sure he didn’t think it would happen so soon. To be truthfully honest, neither did Rachel.

Finn returned with both of their drinks. He sat an herbal tea in front of Rachel, finally remembering she was vegan, and he set his own black coffee in front of him. They sat there just like that in the same silence that took over them on the walk down to the cafeteria. Neither of them knew who was to start talking, and neither of them really wanted to start talking, but they knew they had to.

“What do you want to know Finn?”

It was a simple question but it was efficient. She knew Finn didn’t need the niceties of small talk to ease into the topic, nor was he ever a fan of her long winded rants, so she went straight to the heart of the topic.

“Why so soon? You know I get that you love her, and that you have for a while now, but it kind of sucks to have your heart broken one minute only to turn around and find you in her arms the next.”

“I get that it hurts Finn, and to be honest I didn’t think it would all happen this quickly, but it did. It did and I am so happy. I am happier than I have been in a long time.”

Finn looked away from Rachel and started staring at the styrofoam cup in front of him. As he sat there mulling over Rachel’s comment, he began picking off pieces of the styrofoam around the brim. Rachel knew at this point he was trying to control his anger, to stay calm, and she was surprised that he had walked out and kicked a chair yet. He was maturing.

“Are you happier with her than you were with me?”

“Do you really want an honest answer to that?”

“Probably not, but there is a part of me that kind of wants to know.”

“I was happy when we were together, and for a long time you were the best thing in my life, but now...”

“You have Quinn.”

“I do.”

“And she makes you really happy.”

“Yeah she does.” Rachel replied with a small smile.

After Finn had finished his coffee and pretty well massacred his cup, he looked back at Rachel. She was wearing a smile on her face that he hadn’t seen in a long time. It was a smile that fully reached he eyes and he could see the shine in them again. He missed that. And now he missed the fact that he was no longer the cause of that beautiful smile; Quinn was.

“Look Rach, I am trying really hard to be okay with this, but right now I’m not. I don’t know if I’ll ever be, but I am going to try.”

“That’s all I ever wanted Finn.”

“For right now I just need time and space. So you won’t see me for awhile okay?”

“Okay, I understand. Where are you going to go?”

“I am going to be around but for now I think I am going to head north, visit family, and clear my head.”

“I’m sorry it had to be like this.”

“Me too.”

The two shared a polite smile before they both stood up. They threw their cups away before walking to the front of the hospital. They stood there for a moment before Finn went to turn and walk away.

“Wait.”

Finn turned to look back at Rachel before being enveloped in a hug. The boy was hesitant at first but eventually hugged the starlet back. They stood there for a moment, basking in the moment of the embrace, before Rachel began to speak.

“I’m really going to miss you Finn Hudson.”

“Me too, Rachel Berry.”

“I hope one day you will find a girl that makes you just as happy as Quinn makes me.”

“I hope that to Rach.”

Finn knew full well he already found that girl; that girl was Rachel. He pulled out of the embrace before lightly squeezing the girl’s left shoulder and then walking away. As Rachel watched Finn walk away she couldn’t help but feel like everything was about to change. For the most part she knew this change was going to be good, but she also knows that there are still more troubling roads ahead of her.


	9. Thank You for Everything

The bright moonlight illuminated the hospital room as Rachel lay awake in the bed. It was Saturday night, long after everyone had gone home, and Rachel lay awake beside a soundly sleeping Quinn. Rachel tried to force herself into a dead sleep, much like her girlfriend, but she failed repeatedly. It seemed like no matter what Rachel did, her mind wouldn’t shut off. Her mind kept thinking about how heartbroken Finn was; where he was. She kept thinking about her future with Quinn, about tomorrow being the start of her physiotherapy. She tried to push all of her worries away but they just sat there perched in the front of her mind.

Rachel lay with her head on Quinn’s chest listening to her faint heartbeat. She listened to the soft snores coming from the gorgeous blonde as Rachel idly traced patterns on her hospital gown. How did she get so lucky? It surprised her at times to think about it all. She never thought she would be here beside the blonde, her girlfriend, as she was quietly dreaming away. Rachel smiled to herself as she continued to trace hearts and “I love yous” over Quinn’s covered stomach.

The starlet continued to lie awake before she felt a slight stir from her girlfriend. She looked up to see Quinn peering at her through tired eyes before she closed them once again. Quinn lifted her hand to start combing her fingers through Rachel’s brunette locks. She turned to place a lazy kiss to Rachel’s forehead before resting her cheek against the top of the starlet’s head.

“What are you still doing up, beautiful?” Quinn asked tiredly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just thinking.”

“I know your mind was getting a little loud.”

Rachel blushed at the comment. She didn’t mean to wake the blonde, she knew she needed her sleep for tomorrow, but her mind had other ideas. She also found it to be completely adorable that Quinn knew something was wrong. Even though the two had only been together for a short amount of time, Quinn seemed to know everything about her without ever having to ask. It was kind of a nice break.

“Sorry, I have been trying to get it to shut up.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Everything; you, the future and how heartbroken Finn looked earlier.”

“That is a lot to think about sweetheart.”

“I know.”

Quinn tried to hide her yawn but she seemed to fail. She wanted to be there for Rachel, to help her sort through her mind, but her body had other ideas. She knew she needed rest desperately but she wanted to make sure Rachel’s mind was sorted before falling back into a deep slumber.

“Baby just go back to sleep, okay?” Rachel asked as she cupped Quinn’s face.

“But Rach, something is bothering you. I just want to help.”

“I know you do babe, but these problems are not going to be settled overnight. Besides, it would only add to my worry if you weren’t fully rested for tomorrow,” Rachel told the blonde as she leaned up to place a soft kiss on Quinn’s lips.

“Are you sure baby?”

“Positive.”

Quinn looked at her girlfriend quizzically. She still seemed skeptical of the brunette’s demand for her to go back to sleep. She wasn’t sure if this was some kind of test that she was surely about to fail. But as she looked in her girlfriend’s eyes, she knew it wasn’t. Rachel was the kind of person that no matter what her problems were, she would cast them aside to help others. Quinn found it to be endearing at times but also felt like the diva needed others to do that for her more often.

However, Quinn knew this was not the time to argue with Rachel. She was sure she was going to get to talk about it all with the brunette tomorrow, and she also knew she needed sleep. Quinn also knew that Rachel wouldn’t let her compromise her sleep especially for the big day they had ahead of them. She leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on Rachel’s lips.

“Goodnight baby.”

“Goodnight,” Rachel replied through a smile.

Rachel tried once again to fall asleep, but again she was only left tossing and turning. She waited to hear the heavy breathing from Quinn before slowly sliding away from her girlfriend. She walked over to the small table in the room to grab her phone. It was already 3:30am. She slowly padded over to Quinn and placed a soft kiss on Quinn’s temple.

“I’ll be back in the morning baby. I’m just going for a walk”

Rachel placed one more kiss to Quinn’s forehead before exiting the room. The brunette wandered around the third floor, passing some nurses and a few doctors along the way. Even though Quinn had only been in the hospital for a few weeks, everyone was on a first name basis. As Rachel walked along some nurses stopped and asked how Quinn was; how she was. She liked the feeling of being known throughout the hospital. It was like practice for when she made it big on the Broadway stage.

Rachel pushed the down button for the elevator and waited for the doors to open. When they did, she entered and pushed the button for the main floor. As she waited for the elevator to stop on her desired floor, she leaned her head against the panelling inside the elevator. She could feel exhaustion hitting her body but she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep still. There was still too much on her mind. Whenever she had any worries and she needed to talk to someone, and that someone couldn’t be Quinn, there was only one other person she turned to while she was visiting.

The doors opened and Rachel made her way to the front towards the waiting room. She knew it was much earlier than the normal time the brunette would come for coffee, but she really needed to talk to Betty. With the earlier time, she was hoping that Betty would be sitting there. It had happened a few times where Rachel would come down and Betty would not be there. She would wind up sitting in the waiting room and falling asleep before either Betty or one of the nurses would shake her awake.

As Rachel approached the front desk, a smile grew on her face when she saw the older woman sitting in front of the computer. Rachel did a quick survey of the waiting room making sure there were no patients or family waiting. She never wanted to disturb Betty when she had work to do. Rachel slowly rounded the front desk before she planted herself right in front of Betty.

“Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?” Betty jumped before a smile spread on her lips.

“Good lord Ms. Berry, you scared me.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I am assuming there is something big on your mind.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Well, because it is not even 4 am and here you are scaring little old ladies.”

Rachel had to smile at the older woman. She never failed to make the brunette smile no matter the situation. She sort of reminded the starlet of Santana. The Latina was feared by most, and her form of humour could often be considered harsh, but underneath it all she had a huge heart. Betty was the same way. She could scare people like Puck, and even her at the beginning, but it was all out of love. Betty had a huge heart.

“I am sorry, I see no old ladies here, just a gorgeous secretary.”

“Flattery doesn’t work on me sugar. And I also think a certain Ms. Fabray would be jealous if you started crushing on the hospital secretary.”

“I am sure she would get over it,” Rachel said through a beaming smile.

“Mhm, well sit down and I’ll go get the coffees.”

Rachel sat at one of the very few tables in the waiting room and pulled two chairs over for both her and Betty. She sat down as the older woman walked slowly over to the employee lounge to grab both her and Rachel their coffees. Rachel always loved having coffee with Betty, not only because she enjoyed the woman’s company, but also because the staff had the best coffee. Rachel sat for a mere 10 minutes before Betty came back with their coffees, Rachel’s a coffee with soy milk and Betty’s just a regular. Betty placed the coffee in front of Rachel before sitting across from the brunette.

“So what is on your mind today?”

“I think the bigger question is what isn’t on my mind?”

“Hmm, so it’s one of those days.”

They both fell into a comfortable silence as both took small, leisurely sips from their styrofoam cups. The two often fell into this silence where it was neither awkward nor uncomfortable. It was just silence. They both took another sip before starting up their conversation once more.

“I am going to take a wild guess that this has something to do with Quinn.”

“She is part of it.”

“So there is something else.”

“I’ve also been thinking about Finn.”

Betty vaguely remembers the boy. It was only earlier in the day when the boy signed in to go see Quinn. Through local gossip and some of Rachel’s stories, she knew that the two were somewhat of an item. She remembered the freakishly tall boy with the crooked smile; a true heartthrob. She knew why Rachel would have fallen in love with the boy, but she also wondered why he was suddenly on her mind.

“And why is Finn on your mind?”

“I honestly don’t know. It is nothing romantic I assure you, but I am kind of wondering where he went.”

“And why would he be going anywhere?”

“He said he was going to head north to see family, to take some time away.”

“He needs to heal to Rachel. You have to give the boy that.”

“I know, and maybe the problem isn’t that he left, but that my future left with him.”

She knew Betty was going to take the comment the wrong way, she had herself for awhile, but for the longest time Finn was her future. Her whole life she had this future planned for herself; Broadway, a husband and a few kids. Finn always fit into that. When she broke his heart and he walked away, that set in stone future walked away with him. The security he provided walked away. Before everything was so planned, so sure, and now there is this veil of the unknown. It truly scared the brunette. She loved Quinn more than anything in the world, and she would gladly marry her and have kids with her, but everything is so unsure. Rachel wasn’t used to that feeling.

“So you miss your future?”

“I guess when you look at it yes.”

“You can still have all those things with Quinn.”

“I know...it’s just....I am scared that one day she will wake up and realize she doesn’t want this; want me.”

Tears were forming in the starlet’s eyes and they slowly started sliding down her face. It was always a fear in the back of Rachel’s mind, would Quinn love her 5 years from now? 10 years? It was what really bothered her about her future. Finn was Finn. No matter where the brunette went the boy would follow. There was security in that, it may not have been love, but it was safe. She knew Quinn loved her, and she loved Quinn more than anything, but she was afraid that one day Quinn would find someone better.

Betty reached over and grabbed Rachel’s hand. She gave two light squeezes before wiping some of the fallen tears away.

“Baby girl, that blonde upstairs loves you more than anything.”

“I know.”

“Do you? Because if you did, I don’t think you would be having coffee with me right now.”

“I know she loves me now, but I am afraid that it will wear away. Right now it is so new, so perfect. I am afraid of the day where she doesn’t love me as much as I love her.”

“I don’t think that day will ever come. That girl loves you more than you will ever know.”

“Oh yeah, and how would you know?” Rachel said slightly frustrated.

“You know, you and I aren’t the only ones who have these little talks.”

“Betty what are you talking about?”

Betty loved these two as is they were her own daughters. She not only had these conversations with the small brunette, but she would often sneak off to Quinn’s room during breaks or when it was really slow to talk with the blonde. The more time she seemed to spend with the two, the more she noticed how perfect they were for each other. They shared the same doubt and worries, the same joy and memories. It was truly adorable. They were just meant to be.

It was only a day or two ago when Betty stopped by Quinn’s room. It was a Thursday night and Rachel had just recently left the blonde. Betty knew the brunette would stay in that room every night if she didn’t have a life to attend to. Betty softly knocked on the door before entering the room.

“How are we this evening, Ms. Fabray?”

“Not so good since Rachel left.”

“You really love her don’t you?”

“More than anything.”

Betty walked over to the small table and grabbed one of the chairs before dragging it to Quinn’s bedside. She knew that once the talkative brunette left, Quinn usually became very bored with herself. Betty did everything in her power to make sure both girls were happy.

“That Ms. Berry is something else, isn’t she?”

“Yes she is,” Quinn replied through a small chuckle.

The room fell silent, but it was far from comfortable. It rarely ever got like this but Betty could tell that something was on Quinn’s mind. There was an eerie tension building in the room. Betty looked at Quinn’s face to see clouded eyes which were in stark contrast to her usually bright hazel ones.

“What is going on in that head of yours, baby girl?”

“It’s nothing.”

“That doesn’t sound like nothing to me. It sounds like everything.”

“It’s Rachel.”

“Did you two get in a fight?”

“No it’s nothing like that. Everything is perfect.”

“There is nothing wrong with perfection, honey. Perfection is hard to find these days.”

“It’s just, I had all these dreams and aspirations, you know? I was going to graduate the top of my class at Yale, I was going to lead the Cheerios to another national title, and I was going to get Rachel. And now all of that is gone. All of it but Rachel.”

Betty reached out and grasped Quinn’s hand. The older woman could see the tears forming in the blonde’s hazel eyes. She knew this was hard for the girl, how could it not be? Your whole life you plan out your future and Quinn was being stripped of hers.

It was only yesterday that Quinn realized the severity of her condition. Betty knew she didn’t tell Rachel yet, and Betty didn’t blame her. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that you may never walk again, that your whole life you could be bound to a chair. Betty squeezed Quinn’s hand a little harder as the blonde continued to speak through her tears.

“Everyone has their big plans, colleges, New York. I mean what do I have? Rachel’s perfect. She’s my perfect thing, something I can’t even screw up. Do you know how hard it is to do something perfectly?”

“Quinn, nobody is perfect. You can still have all those things, Yale, the Cheerios and Rachel. Nothing is stopping you from any of it.”

“That damn chair will stop me from a hell of a lot,” the blonde screamed out.

Betty didn’t bother refute the girl, it was pointless. The older woman could spew out every line from every pamphlet on how to deal with the blonde’s condition, but it was no use. She had no idea what the blonde was going through. She had no idea what Quinn felt like, how much it must all hurt. How much heartache there is in having the knowledge that you have to let go of all of your dreams and aspirations because you were bound to a chair for the rest of your life. At this point, Betty was fighting back her own urge to scream.

Quinn let the tears fall freely. She finally let it all go and broke down. For the past couple of days she was trying to be so strong for everyone, especially Rachel. She had only gotten the news of her condition a few days prior, though she didn’t know all the details, she knew she was paralyzed from the waist down. She did her best to hide away her fears but now they were all being brought to the surface.

“That chair will only stop you if you let it. It is all up to you baby girl.”

Quinn turned her head slightly to face the older woman. She took a deep breath trying to slow the rapid tears falling down her cheeks. When they refused to slow, she closed her eyes briefly and turned her head away. She took a few more calming breaths and sniffed back the rest of her tears before her eyes found Betty’s once more.

“Rachel is the only sure thing in my life right now. I am worried about the day she heads to New York and leaves me here in Lima.”

“She would never leave you here, Quinn. She loves you too damn much.”

“If it turns out that I am in that chair for the rest for my life, I wouldn’t make her take me. It’s not fair. It is not fair of me to ask her to leave all of her dreams to wheel me around for the rest of our lives.”

“She would you know,” Betty muttered quietly.

“I know that. I know that she would happily wheel me around until the day we die, but I won’t let her do that. I won’t take Broadway away from her just so she can take care of me. It’s not fair of me to ask that of her,” Quinn took a shaky breath before continuing. “If it came down to it, I would let her go. It would be hard, god it would break me, but I would do it. I am not going to be the one to hold her back.”

“That is damn selfish of you and you know it,” Betty replied angrily.

“What are you talking about?”

“If you leave that girl you’ll break her heart. You aren’t the only one with dreams you know. Sure that girl’s big dream is Broadway, but a bigger dream of hers is a life with you. How could you deny her of that?”

Betty dropped Quinn’s hand and stood up. She pulled the chair back to the small table and began making slow strides towards the door. She didn’t want to be mad at the blonde, she knew it was hard, but she just couldn’t think about her breaking Rachel’s heart. The two girls were like her daughters, so to see any of them in pain was heart wrenching.

As she reached the door, Betty could hear a faint voice calling out her name. She turned to see Quinn sitting up with fresh tears in her eyes.

“I just really love her, Betty. I know she is so much better than me, I know she is meant for better than me. I just don’t want to be the one to hold her back. I don’t want to be like Finn.”

“Baby girl, she chose you for a reason. You mean an awful lot to Ms. Berry.”

“She means a lot to me to.”

“I think you need to talk to her, sort all this out.”

“I can’t let her know how bad my condition is.”

“She is going to find out some time.”

“I don’t want to worry her. I don’t want to ruin the perfection just yet,” Quinn replied through a small smile.

“You’ll work it out, Quinn. I know it,” Betty smiled back.

As Betty was about to reach the door once more, she heard the blonde call out to her. She turned to face Quinn, smiles still on both of their faces.

“Thank you, you know for listening.”

“Anytime. You know who else is a great listener?”

“Who else is a great listener, Betty?” Quinn answered with a knowing smile.

“Rachel. Just promise me you’ll talk to her.”

“I promise.”

With a final nod Betty made her way out through the door. She never felt this kind of connection with a patient, or this kind of connection with a patient’s loved one, but something was different with both Rachel and Quinn. It was in their beaming smiles and haunting eyes; their welcoming personalities. It was also the way they loved each other. Their love was so new, so young, and yet it seemed so practice. The two were just meant to be together; it melted Betty’s heart.

Rachel sat across from Betty with tears in her eyes. As she listened to the story, she couldn’t help but sympathize with her girlfriend. All the fears of the future, of not being enough, were not only shared by her but by Quinn.

Rachel untangled the hand, which was intertwined with Betty’s, and began wiping away the stray tears that made their way down her cheeks. She never wanted Quinn to feel like that, like she wasn’t enough. Quinn was perfect and absolutely everything that Rachel could have wished for, so why would Quinn question that? Why was Rachel questioning it herself?

Betty looked at the diva and could tell there were a million thoughts running through her head. Betty reached over and grabbed both of Rachel’s hands and held them firmly. She waited until chocolate brown eyes met her own before speaking to fill the silence.

“I know you love her, and I know she loves you, but you two need to talk. You can try and live in this perfect bubble all you want but it doesn’t stop the world from turning around you.”

“I know,” Rachel sniff back tears.

“You two need to open up to one another or it will never work. You both have to stop being afraid that you will lose what you have. You are together for a reason. If you truly love each other, knowing the truth won’t tear you apart, it will bring you together.”

Rachel nodded slightly agreeing with Betty. It was all true, she was afraid of opening up to the blonde because she was afraid of losing the perfection they have created over the past few weeks. She was afraid that if she showed her true colours, Quinn would head for the hills.

Rachel looked up to the large clock that hung on the wall and noticed it was nearing six in the morning. She let a small smile grace her face at the notice of how fast time seemed to fly by. She turned back to Betty to see a knowing smile.

“Well time sure does fly doesn’t it?”

“It certainly does, Ms. Berry.”

“I think I should head back, there is a gorgeous blonde upstairs that I need to talk to.”

“I think that is a great idea.”

Both Betty and Rachel stood, Rachel gearing to head back upstairs and Betty back to work. Betty gave the small brunette and polite smile before she began to walk away to her desk. Before she had the time to take one step, Rachel wrapped her arms around the woman. Betty was shocked for a mere moment before she reciprocated the gesture. As they embraced, Rachel turned her head to whisper in Betty’s ear.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Betty whispered back.

“For everything.”  


	10. What Are You Doing Here?

Rachel said her goodbyes to Betty and made her way for the elevator. Her feet dragged as she walked the long corridor. Exhaustion was hitting her hard as she was heading back to Quinn’s room. She could only hope the blonde was asleep when she finally got there, so she could catch a few hours of sleep before their big day.

Rachel exited the elevator on the third floor. She could see the early morning sun peeking through the few windows placed along the long corridor. As Rachel approached Quinn’s room, her already languid pace slowed further. She couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the impending conversation that both she and Quinn had to have. The brunette prayed that the blonde was still in a state of blissful sleep when she decided to enter through the door.

Up until this point, their relationship had been perfect. They exchanged chaste, and at times, heated kisses. They shared terms of endearment that now flowed off the tongue so naturally. They held each other while they slept of those few nights they could during the week. Nothing was difficult. Nothing was wrong. It was perfect.

However, nothing is ever really perfect. The two had created this false reality for themselves. They hid their fears away from one another, all of their bad thoughts, and pretended like everything was fine. It was far from fine. Both the blonde and the brunette were holding on to this false perfection. They were holding onto this false reality because both were afraid that if they opened up to one another, if they revealed their true self, the perfection would be gone.

Rachel slowly twisted the handle and entered into the room. She closed the door as quietly as possible and made her way into the room. She relaxed slightly seeing that the blonde was still in a deep sleep. She placed her phone on the small table and made her way to Quinn’s bedside.

“Rachel?”

The brunette looked to her girlfriend’s face to see tired hazel eyes peering at her. Her name was said with a huskiness that Rachel found utterly adorable, but also extremely sexy.

“Hi baby,” Rachel brushed back some of the hair that fell in front of Quinn’s eyes.

“Where’d you go?”

“I went to see our number one fan.”

“Betty?”

“Betty.”

Quinn reached out for Rachel’s hand and quickly intertwined their fingers. She placed a soft kiss to the back of the brunette’s hand before pulling Rachel to the bed. The starlet sat of the edge of the bed before exhaustion forced her to lie down. She lay down with her head resting on Quinn’s chest and her left arm draped over the blonde’s covered midriff. The brunette could hear the quiet beating of her girlfriend’s heart and she could smell the smell that was uniquely Quinn. Her heavy eyes finally closed. She had never felt more peaceful then when she was in the blonde’s arms.

“Are you tired, baby?” Quinn asked as she combed her fingers through Rachel’s hair.

“Yeah,” was all Rachel could reply, her voice hoarse with exhaustion.

“How about you get some sleep and we can talk when you wake up, okay?”

Rachel could only nod in response. The wave of exhaustion finally took over and forced her into a deep sleep.

Quinn lay beside Rachel for hours just watching her sleep. There was something so peaceful, so intimate about it. When someone is in a state of blissful sleep, they are in their purest form. The walls that people put up, the masks they hide behind. They all vanish in their sleep. There is such beauty in watching someone sleep, knowing that in that moment, they are completely them. They are completely real. The blonde just laid there beside her girlfriend and she combed her fingers through her brunette locks. She watched the subtle changes in Rachel’s face. She watched the way her eyebrows would furrow slightly, or she would watch her eyelids flutter. Quinn’s heart would swell when she saw the corners of Rachel’s lips lift to a small smile. Watching Rachel allowed her mind to sink away from all life’s worries and allowed her mind to just be with Rachel in that moment. It was the little things in life that Quinn got the most joy from.

Hours passed and the sun was now sitting high in the sky. Quinn assumed it was almost noon before she felt the brunette stir next to her. The petit brunette looked up at the blonde through tired eyes. A smile graced Rachel’s face before she turned and buried her face in Quinn’s neck. The blonde could feel Rachel peppering her neck with light kisses.

“Well good morning to you to,” Quinn chuckled.

“Did you get more sleep, baby?”

“No, I was just watching you.”

“Why?”

“You looked so peaceful.”

Rachel felt her cheeks grown warm as a blush set in. She tried to hide her red face by placing a firm kiss to Quinn’s lips. Their kisses were usually quite chaste, but this was defiantly not their usual kiss. Rachel ran her tongue along Quinn’s bottom lip coaxing the blonde to open her lips. When she did, Rachel slipped her tongue into Quinn’s mouth. The brunette ran her tongue over Quinn’s and proceeded to explore the blonde’s mouth. It was if she was trying to remember every detail. Quinn let Rachel explore before the two entered into a battle for dominance. They fought against one another, their bodies becoming heated.

“Oh...I-I’m sorry,” Rachel and Quinn broke apart to see one of the nurses standing just inside the small room, “I was just reminding you that your physiotherapy starts in an hour.”

“Thank you.”

Both Rachel and Quinn watched the embarrassed nurse walk out of the room before they burst into a fit of giggles. This was not the first time that this had happened. At first, Rachel and Quinn would be mortified. But now, it seemed like the two were making a game to make sure every nurse and doctor in the hospital had caught them.

“Is she new?” Rachel asked before kissing Quinn’s lips. She lightly bit her bottom lip as she pulled away.

“Yeah, her name is Sarah. She is really cool.”

“On a first name basis are we?”

“Rach, it’s not like that.”

“Why not? She is really hot,” Rachel replied through a smirk.

“Babe!” Quinn replied laughing as she swatted at Rachel’s arm.

“Not as hot as my beautiful and gorgeous girlfriend.”

“Good answer.”

“Who said I was talking about you? I was talking about Betty,” Rachel replied through a sly smirk.

“I knew you two spent way too much time together. No more morning chats.”

Quinn smiled at Rachel. After the two had a small laugh, their eyes met. They gazed at one another for a moment, searching each other’s eyes for answers to questions they had yet to ask. They both knew they needed to talk, it was no secret. Quinn reached up and slid her right hand behind Rachel’s neck before pulling her close and placing a soft kiss to the brunette’s lips.

“Is that where you ran off this morning, to see Betty?”

“Yeah, I just had a lot on my mind I guess.”

“Why didn’t you just talk to me?”

“You needed you rest, and I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what, baby?”

“Afraid of ruining this.”

Rachel gestured between both her and Quinn. The blonde placed soft kisses to the brunette’s forehead, then her cheek before placing one last soft kiss to her lips.

“Come here.”

Quinn turned Rachel around and pulled her close. The blonde’s front was flush with her girlfriend’s back. Rachel leaned back into Quinn and rested her head back on the blonde’s shoulder. Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel’s torso and hugged her close. Quinn felt that this conversation would be a lot easier if they didn’t look at each other. It would allow them to speak their minds without seeing various emotions displayed in each other’s eyes.

Quinn kissed Rachel’s temple lightly before resting her cheek atop the brunette’s head.

“I’m not very good at this, Rach; the whole talking part.”

“We have to talk about all this sometime. The bubble is nice, but eventually, it’s going to pop.”

“I know,” Quinn sighed, “I’m...I’m just scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“A lot of things.”

“Let’s just start with one thing. What is one thing that scares you?”

“Being stuck in that wheelchair.”

Both Rachel and Quinn looked to the far left corner of the room. Opposite of the door, there was now a small wheelchair meant for Quinn. The blonde had yet to use it, afraid of dealing with the reality. But today was going to the day she had to use it. Today is when things got very real for the blonde. Quinn wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

“Why does that scare you, Quinn?”

“I am scared that the doctors are wrong and I will be stuck in that chair for the rest of my life.”

“That’s not going to happen baby. The doctors said-”

“I know what they said, Rachel. That doesn’t mean they can’t be wrong.”

“You’re right, sometimes they can be wrong, but that doesn’t change anything. That doesn’t change us.”

“It may not change us, but it will change me.”

“Why? Because your legs won’t work? It will only change you if you let it Quinn. That chair won’t change the person you are. Legs don’t make a person,” Rachel kissed Quinn’s cheek and rested her head back against the blonde’s shoulder.

“I am worried that I won’t be able to give you the things you need. I am worried that one day, I won’t be enough and someone else will take my place. That idea just kills me.”

“Hey,” Rachel turned so she was now sitting on Quinn’s lap. The blonde tried to look everywhere but at Rachel. She didn’t want to see the expression in her eyes, “look at me.”

Quinn slowly lifted her head to meet Rachel’s gaze. She could feel a single tear stream down her cheek. She didn’t want to cry, she tried her hardest not to, but the thought of losing Rachel was heartbreaking. She had already gone through a period of time where she didn’t have Rachel, and now that she had her, she was never going to let her go. Not if she could help it.

Rachel used both of her hands and cupped the blonde’s cheeks.

“Baby, I am not going anywhere. That chair isn’t going to change how I feel about you. It is going to take a lot more than a set of wheels to keep me from you.”

Rachel pulled Quinn close and placed a firm kiss to her lips, silencing and protests that the blonde may have had. Quinn tensed at first before melting into the kiss. Whatever thoughts she had, they all seemed to vanish when kissing Rachel.

The brunette pulled away and used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the tears that had fallen down Quinn’s cheeks.

“That chair is going to hold me back from so much, Rachel. It will hold me back from Yale, from New York, from you...”

“I already told you, I am not going anywhere. Neither is the rest of it. That stuff will all be there; Yale, New York. The only thing stopping you from those dreams is your own mind.”

“What about Cheerios?”

“I am not going to lie to you baby, that probably won’t be happening this year. But I will sit beside you on that field and cheer with you.”

“What about dancing with you at prom, or walking across the stage at graduation? What about nationals?”

“You will walk across that stage at graduation. You will perform at nationals with the rest of the Glee club, and we will win. And most or all, I will dance with you at prom. Chair or no chair.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know you, Quinn. You are so strong and so brave. This is just another unfortunate obstacle that you have to overcome, and I know you will do it. I believe in you.”

“How did I get so lucky?”

“I ask that same question everyday my love.”

Quinn let out a watery chuckle and Rachel gave her a smile. Some of the fear that the two had over the previous impending conversation had dissipated. The idea of letting someone in, letting each other in, no longer held the same danger as it once did. Each knew that no matter what, even if their entire world was crashing down, they at least had each other. At the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

The blonde wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s torso and pulled her close for a kiss. They both smiled into the kiss. They could feel their problems melting away with each second that passed.

Rachel pulled away from the kiss and buried her face in Quinn’s neck. She placed soft open mouth kissed to the blonde’s neck before she heard Quinn speak.

“What about you, Rachel? What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“It’s really nothing,” Quinn could feel Rachel’s lips moving against her neck.

“Rachel, this talking thing, it goes both ways. You need to let me in to.”

“I’m afraid to.”

“Why baby?”

“I am afraid to let you in because I am afraid that once I let you in, you won’t like the real me.”

“Is that what you are afraid of, that I won’t like you?”

Rachel pulled away from the blonde’s neck and looked down into her lap. She kept staring at her fingers as she picked at her nails, and clasped and unclasped her hands. Her focus was brought back to Quinn when the blonde reached out and grabbed Rachel’s hand. Quinn slowly intertwined her fingers with the starlet’s.

“It’s just, Finn. Finn was this sense of security for me. With him around, I didn’t have to worry about being alone. That ring on my finger meant that I didn’t have to worry. With him gone, all the sure things in my life no longer seem sure. I love you so much, Quinn. But I am afraid of the day when you realize you are so much better than me; that you need someone more up to your standards.”

“You’re right, I won’t like you. I will love you. I love you now, so much. Honestly, I don’t know where we are going to be 5 years, or 10 years from now. All I know it I want to be with you. Love isn’t predictable Rach. It’s not supposed to be. That’s the fun in it; discovering and learning.”

“You really want to be with me that far in the future?”

“If you’ll have me,” Quinn smiled and looked into her girlfriend’s eyes.

“Of course I’ll have you, you dork,” Rachel laughed and leant in for a kiss.

“Is it safe to come in now?” Both Rachel and Quinn both turned to the sound of Sarah’s voice at the door.

“Yeah we’re done now.”

“There are some things I don’t need to know ladies,” Sarah said through a knowing smirk.

Quinn and Rachel both didn’t realize how much time had passed. Their conversation felt more like 15 minutes long as opposed to an hour. Both knew that Sarah was there to help Quinn into her chair and to help get both of them to the blonde’s first physiotherapy session.

Rachel got up off on Quinn as Sarah wheeled the chair over to Quinn’s bedside. Sarah reached over the blonde to press a button which lowered Quinn’s bed.

“Can I get some help here, Rachel?”

“You know my name?”

“How can I not? This one never shuts up about you. You’re all she talks about.”

Rachel smiled and Quinn desperately tried to hide her blush. The brunette moved to the opposite of Quinn bed so she could help support Quinn’s back as Sarah shifted the blonde. After a lot of manoeuvring and time, Quinn was finally in the chair.

“How do you feel?” Sarah asked.

“Honestly, just really glad to be out of that bed,” All three shared a light hearted chuckle.

“Well, if you both would follow me. We have an appointment to get you to Ms. Fabray.”

Rachel wheeled Quinn down the hallway as they trailed Sarah. The three headed for the elevator and pressed the up arrow and waited patiently. The three finally arrived to the fourth floor of the hospital before Sarah ushered them into a small room.

“Right in here ladies, the doctor should be in shortly. Try not to give him a show,” Sarah winked at the girls before leaving them alone.

“How are you feeling baby?” Rachel asked.

“Really nervous. Everything is just starting to feel real, you know? I don’t know if I am ready for it to be real.”

Rachel moved around the chair to kneel in front of Quinn. She took both of the blonde’s hands in hers and gave them both a light squeeze. The brunette let a reassuring smile appear in her face before beginning to speak.

“No matter what, I am here, okay? No matter what he says, I will be right beside you the whole way.”

“I love you so much, Rachel.”

“I love you to, Quinn.”

The brunette stood slightly from her squatting position to reach Quinn’s lips. The kiss was soft, it was comforting. Quinn removed one of her hands from Rachel’s so she could cup the brunette’s face. The kiss was reassurance.  It was the reassurance that no matter what, they will always have each other.

The two pulled back when they heard the turn of the door knob. Doctor Roberts entered into the room and smiled at both of the girls. Over the last couple of weeks, he had really gotten to know the girls; the whole hospital did.

He took one of the rolling chairs and pulled it over to sit in front of Quinn. Rachel found a spare stool and placed it to the right of her girlfriend.

“Nice to see you again, Quinn.”

“Likewise, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“I am sure all of us wish it were under better circumstances, but at least there is a positive light at the end of the tunnel. We expect a full recovery for you Ms. Fabray.”

“Do you know for certain doctor?” Rachel asked, knowing it was one of Quinn’s main concerns.

“We still need to do some x-rays, but I am fairly confident you will be walking across that stage for graduation.”

“What about Glee, nationals?”

Quinn had to smile at how adorable Rachel was being. Even with the blonde in a wheelchair, she was so set on performing and winning nationals. Quinn found it endearing. It was one of the reasons she fell in love with her. Rachel was so passionate about her craft; her singing. Nothing was going to get in the way of her dreams, not even Quinn. The blonde wasn’t planning on getting in the way. She was planning on enjoying the ride.

“Baby steps, but if you are determined, I don’t see why not. Your recovery is up to you Quinn. You have to want it bad enough if you want to get better.”

“I want it. I want it so much.”

“Then you have to work for it. I am telling you now, it won’t be easy. Some days will be really hard, not only physically, but also emotionally. But see, you’re lucky. You have this headstrong girlfriend of yours to keep you on the right path. I wouldn’t plan on letting her go any time soon.”

“Nothing will ever make me let go of her. Not again,” Quinn replied as she reached over for Rachel’s hand.

“I am very happy to hear that Ms. Fabray. Alright, today is kind of an orientation day. We are going to take a few x-rays to see how best to proceed with your healing process. We will work out a schedule and go over workouts. If your x-rays come back alright, you could very well be discharged tomorrow.”

“Really, so soon?” Rachel questioned.

“Yes Ms. Berry. Quinn has shown remarkable recovery. Of course she will have to come 2 to 3 times a week for her physiotherapy, and she will have to work on it at home as well, but there is no sense in keeping her here any longer. Unless you like the hospital?”

The three shared a light hearted chuckle at the doctor’s poor joke. The news that Quinn had to possibility if being discharged the next day was a relief. Even though Rachel wanted to be positive about the blonde’s recovery, she didn’t want to be overly optimistic in case the worst happened. Now, the brunette felt like everything was going to be okay. Quinn was going to walk across that stage at graduation, she was going to perform with the New Directions at nationals and she was going to dance with her at prom. Rachel couldn’t have been happier for Quinn.

A nurse came in to wheel Quinn down to the x-ray room. Rachel gave her a quick peck on the lips before seeing her off. Doctor Roberts assured her they would only be gone for 15 to 20 minutes. Rachel stayed in the room and chatted with one of the nurses while she waited for Quinn to return.

Time seemed to drag, but soon enough, Quinn was wheeled through the door by Sarah.

“Your girl seems to be looking pretty good, Ms. Berry.”

“Oh I know my girl looks good,” Rachel replied with a cheeky grin.

“She didn’t mean like that you dork, but thank you baby.”

“Well I will leave you two alone, not only because I sense a makeout session, but I need to go discuss the x-rays with doctor Roberts. We will be back shortly.”

Rachel and Quinn both watched as the young nurse left the room. Quinn turned her attention from the door to meet Rachel’s gaze. The blonde couldn’t help the beaming smile that spread across her face when she saw her girlfriend smiling at her.

“What are you smiling for pretty girl?”

“I am smiling because you, my extremely good looking girlfriend, had good looking x-rays. That is great news baby.”

“C’mere.”

Rachel walked slowly towards Quinn and went to reach for the blonde’s hands. Quinn moved her hands quickly and found Rachel’s waist, successfully pulling the tiny brunette into her lap. Rachel let out a loud squeal before her lips found Quinn’s. The two smiled into the kiss, both ecstatic about the good news.

“Is it really that hard to keep your hands off each other?”

The two broke apart when they heard the heard the booming bass of Doctor Roberts’ voice. This was one of the rare times the girls flushed with embarrassment. It really was getting out of control. Rachel felt that at any moment, she would jump Quinn.

“Sorry we got carried away....celebrating,” Quinn replied.

“Mhm. Well, how about we keep the celebrations PG for night alright?” He asked with a hint of a smile.

“Yes Doctor Roberts,” Both Rachel and Quinn replied in unison, smiles soon spreading to both girls’ lips.

“Well considering you were celebrating, I assume Sarah must have slipped you some good news?”

“She said the x-rays looked good,” Rachel replied.

“She was right. I think that you can be discharged as early as tomorrow morning, Quinn.”

“Is there a reason why she can’t be discharged today?” The brunette asked.

“Well it is part of hospital policy. Also, we want Quinn to get used to the chair. Just because she will make a full recovery, does not mean that the process will be quick. That chair will be with her for the next couple of months. We want her to get used to wheeling around the hospital, maybe outside as well.”

“I also assume this has to do with my physiotherapy,” Quinn added.

“Indeed. We want to go over the scheduling for the physio. We also want to go over the various workout plans we plan to put you on as well as give you instructions to home exercises. These home exercises might not be able to be completed right away, but we want to make you knowledgeable about them for when the time comes.”

“So what am I doing today?” Quinn asked.

“Well, a few of the nurses are going to take you around and help you get comfortable with the chair. We will call your mother and work out all the arrangements for the therapy and the impending discharge.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Rachel butted in.

“I know you want to be with Quinn, but I am sure there is a lovely lady at the front desk that’s dying to meet you.” 

Rachel instantly knew he was talking about Betty. She really didn’t want to leave Quinn, especially now. She was a type of person that recorded all the facts and details about certain situations. She would love to just sit at Quinn’s side and jot down notes on her workouts, or make an organized chart for her therapy days. She would love to be a part of it, but she knew Quinn needed her time to figure this all out on her own. The blonde needed time to adjust to being in a chair and she needed to do that by herself. If there was anyone that Rachel would want to see, it would be Betty. The older woman would probably also want to hear that she and Quinn had worked on their issues.

Rachel looked to meets Quinn’s gaze and she could tell that the blonde was a little scared. She didn’t blame her; this was a lot to take in all in one day. A lot of information was flying at Quinn and the blonde looked petrified.

The starlet gripped Quinn’s hand and placed a few soft pecks to Quinn’s lips.

“I promise I will still be here when you’re done. I’m going to talk to our favourite girl. Besides, I can come and meet you after with your mom and we can get some dinner together, okay?”

“That sounds great baby.”

“Okay, I love you. Try your best not to hurt yourself.”

“I love you to, and I promise I won’t. I promise to come back in one piece.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Rachel placed one last kiss to Quinn’s lips before smiling politely at Doctor Roberts. She slowly made her way to the door and out into the hallway. It had to be only around 3 o’clock, so Rachel was hoping to catch Betty on her lunch break. She made her way to the elevator and pressed the down arrow. The brunette waited patiently for the doors to open before she stepped inside and pressed the button for the main floor. When the doors opened, she walked down the short hall to the main waiting room of the hospital. She peered over the desk and could see Betty diligently typing away at her computer.

“Is there any chance I can steal you away for lunch?”

Betty jumped and turned to meet Rachel’s gaze. She brought her hand to her chest before a smile broke on her face.

“Child, I think we need to put a bell on you or something. You can’t keep giving me heart attacks like this. I am an old woman you know.”

“Says who?”

“Society.”

“I think society is wrong. You know, if I wasn’t with Quinn-”

“I am going to stop you right there. We don’t need Ms. Fabray getting jealous of our binding romance.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Both shared a friendly smile before breaking out into laughter. The two had this weird relationship. Rachel flirted with the woman, often, but she also felt like the woman was the missing mother figure in her life. She was full of so much wisdom and advice; Rachel loved talking with her.

Betty turned back to the computer and saved the work she was doing before closing the program. She stood up from her seat and made her way around the desk to meet Rachel. She held out her left arm for Rachel to loop her through.

“Right this way Ms. Berry.”

“If I didn’t know better, I think you were trying to woo me.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it.”

Betty and Rachel both turned their heads to see Quinn rolling down the hallway. Rachel broke into a smile knowing full well the blonde wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Baby, what are you doing?”

“Making sure Betty doesn’t steal my girl.”

“Never in a million years would I try that Ms. Fabray. I think your girlfriend is a little too head over heels for you.”

“I’m watching you, Betty.”

Quinn rolled to a stop next to Rachel before puckering her lips for a kiss. Rachel let out a small chuckle before meeting her girlfriend halfway and placing a soft kiss to her lips. Quinn pulled back with a smile on her face as she rolled down the hall in front of them.

“She is something else,” Betty stated.

“Yeah she really is,” Rachel replied with a beaming smile.

“So I believe I was promised lunch.”

“I am terribly sorry, right this way.”

Rachel was about to loop her arm through Betty’s when she heard the automatic sliding doors to the waiting room open. She could see Judy enter but she looked rather frantic. When the older blonde met Rachel’s stare, the look of fear in her eyes only increased.

“Rachel, honey, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see Quinn like I do every weekend, why?”

“I love you honey, I do, but you need to leave now.”

Rachel was a little take back with Judy. The older blonde was always very friendly with her, especially of her and Quinn’s relationship. The way Judy was acting now was very out of character.

“Judy, what’s going on?”

“What the hell is she doing here?”

Then she came to realize why Judy looked so frantic. There beside her stood Russell Fabray.


	11. The Storm

_“Rachel, honey, what are you doing here?”_

_“I came to see Quinn like I do every weekend, why?”_

_“I love you honey, I do, but you need to leave now.”_

_Rachel was a little take back with Judy. The older blonde was always very friendly with her, especially of her and Quinn’s relationship. The way Judy was acting now was very out of character._

_“Judy, what’s going on?”_

_“What the hell is she doing here?”_

_Then she came to realize why Judy looked so frantic. There beside her stood Russell Fabray._

Rachel’s words were lost in her throat as she looked to Judy’s left. She could feel her face drop and her movements freeze as she looked into the angered man’s eyes. He glared back with such anger and the starlet had no idea where it came from. She had never met the man. She could only assume that he heard things through the grapevine or he knew of her family.

“Russell, leave her alone,” Judy spoke forcefully as she grabbed Russell’s arm.

“I asked a simple question, Judy. What the hell is she doing here?”

“She has every right to be here, Russell.”

The brunette still found herself in a stare off with the man. She wanted to look away from him, but she couldn’t. Her eyes were fixed on the man before her, searching. She looked into his eyes, his hazel eyes that looked so much like Quinn’s, and wondered. How could something so evil create something to perfect?

There he stood, tanned slacks, white longed sleeved button up shirt and sweater vest.  He looked like the golden boy; the perfect husband, perfect father, perfect man. He looked like one of the men from those family magazines which held dozens of article about the ideal, perfect family. He looked so wholesome. Yet the venom in his eyes, the venom in his heart. Rachel felt sick to her stomach.

“I asked you a question Berry, what are you doing here?”

“I-I’m here to see Quinn.”

He erupted in laughter that seemed to mock Rachel. All she could do was stand there and listen. She stood there and listened to the man make a joke of her, a mockery. She started to feel tears sting the corners of her eyes but she would be damned if she let them fall.

When Russell finally opened his eyes from laughing, he returned his gaze back to the petit starlet.

“Well I think you’re confused there sweetheart. Quinn doesn’t want you here. She doesn’t even like you.”

The recognition of her and Quinn’s past weighed down on her chest. Even though they were old wounds, it hurt when Russell forced healed wounds open. It was true Quinn wasn’t always the nicest to her, that was no secret. She hated Rachel once, or that is what Rachel had thought. Now knowing Quinn, her Quinn, she knew it wasn’t true. Her past feelings of hatred were a mask to hide her true feelings of love.

“You’re wrong Russell,” Rachel spat out.

“Didn’t those dads teach you any manners? You never address me by my first name, ever.”

“Leave the girl alone, Russell.”

Judy tried to lure the man away once more. She gripped his arm and attempted to pull him away. She didn’t want Rachel to have to deal with him, with his anger. She tried to pull him away but he shook her off and released his arm from her grip. She went to grab for his arm again when he raised his hand above his head. Rachel could see the woman cower, so she decided to interrupt.

“Quinn wants me to be here.”

Russell lowered his hand and turned back to Rachel. She could feel Betty move closer to her side knowing that the man could fly off the handle at any moment. The woman had already paged security to stand by to make sure he didn’t get out of hand.

“And what makes you think that?”

“She’s...she’s”

“My girlfriend.”

The words died in Rachel’s throat as she heard the familiar voice. Rachel turned to her left to see Quinn rolling towards her. She didn’t know how much of the conversation she had heard but she was glad Quinn was there. She really needed her girlfriend.

“What did you just say?’ Russell questioned, clearly hoping he heard Quinn wrong.

“Did I stutter? I said she was my girlfriend.”

“You can’t be serious. This is absolutely ludicrous Quinn.”

“What is so ludicrous about it? She is my girlfriend, end of story.”

“Quinn, don’t.”

Rachel turned to look at Judy. Rachel could see the pleading look in her eyes, begging for Quinn to let it go. Rachel knew better though. Quinn wasn’t going to let this go. The blonde had let it go for too many years. This was her time to fight back.

“No mom, I have had enough of this; enough of him.”

“This is what you let happen to our daughter? I leave and you let her near the Berry girl? It’s no wonder why she’s gay, she’s been infected.”

“Infected? It is not a disease, _Russell_ ,” Quinn spat out. From the look on the man’s face, Rachel knew her girlfriend hit a nerve.

“Don’t you dare call me Russell; I am your father dammit!” Russell shouted.

“That doesn’t sound very Christian of you Mr. Fabray.”

Rachel didn’t mean to say it out loud but the words seemed to roll off the tongue. She instantly wished she could have taken that back, even more so when she saw the angered look on Russell’s face.

“What did you say?”

“I-I didn’t mean to...” Rachel tried to find her backbone to stand up to the man but all of her courage died when she looked into his eyes.

“Quinn, tell your little _dyke_ friend to learn some manners.”

Rachel could feel a single tear roll down her face. She didn’t want to cry, she tried her best not to. She wanted to be strong, if not for her at least for Quinn. She had heard stories of Russell, but she never thought they were true. She didn’t know how her girlfriend managed to live with the man for 16 years of her life.

“Don’t you dare talk to her like that, you have no right.”

“I have the same right as anyone in this damn hospital. It’s a free country I am entitled to my opinion.”

“Your opinion isn’t welcome here, so you can leave.”

“I came to see my daughter seeing as she got in a car accident. Did no one think to call me to tell me this?”

“I told mom not to call you.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT YOU HERE!” Rachel flinched at the blonde’s sudden outburst.

“Well unless you want to live on the side of the road in a box, you need me here. How else do you think these hospital bills will get paid?”

“We would figure it out,” Quinn mumbled out almost as if she had been defeated.

“Figure it out? Your mom is lucky to work four days a week. You don’t even have a job. Thank god you gave up that bastard child or you would already be on the streets.”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Judy shouted at such volume that various staff members turned to see the commotion. The security began to inch closer sensing that one of the members would eventually have to be escorted out of the hospital.

Rachel turned to look at Quinn and could see tears forming in her hazel eyes. The brunette immediately released herself from Betty’s grip and walked over to comfort her. She knelt down and took both of her hands, kissing the backs before turning back to the scene before her.

“You’re going to raise your voice to me? I didn’t think you had it in you Judy.”

“You leave her alone. I want you to leave. Why the hell are you here anyways?”

“One of my golf buddies, who works here, said he had someone by the name Fabray. It only confirmed it when I saw you walking towards the entrance. I thought it would be a good time for some family bonding.”

“Well we don’t want you here, so why don’t you just go?” Quinn answered, the anger back in her voice.

Russell turned to see Rachel knelling before Quinn, grasping her hands. Rachel turned to look at his to see his smug look drop away only to be replaced by burning hatred.

“Get your hands off my daughter.”

“No,” Rachel was firm with her response.

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. I am doing nothing wrong.”

“You’re poisoning my daughter. You’re not even good enough for her. Quinn is a Fabray, a little _dyke_ like you won’t stand a chance.”

And there is was, Rachel’s greatest fear; not being good enough. It was only the night before that she and Quinn had this conversation. The brunette was worried that one day, Quinn would realize she was meant for so much better than her. Now here they stood in the waiting area and Russell Fabray was tapping into her greatest fear with Quinn. She could feel a tear streak down her face.

“Hit a nerve did I?”

She stayed there, frozen. A numbness washed over her trying to reduced the sting of Russell’s words. She could feel the pull from Quinn but she remained still. He did hit a nerve and he knew it.

“Just leave Russell,” Judy stated once more.

“And what do you think you’re going to do? You need me Judy, like it or not.”

“I don’t need you,” Judy’s voice wavered.

“You can’t pay for all this crap. You barely make minimum wage and you still live in our old house. I know you have already taken a mortgage out on it.”

“I don’t care if we end up living under a bridge I sure as hell am not getting help from you.”

Judy glared through the man, her stance much taller than it was before. Russell looked at her, clearly surprised that his ex wife was standing up to him. His surprise quickly faded as he began to chuckle darkly.

“Well I hope you find a real nice bridge, I sincerely hope you do. And hey, if you get strapped for cash, you could always work the corner. I know there are some sick freaks out there who would be into that kind of thing. We already know Quinnie here doesn’t have a problem with it. Maybe she will get lucky with a second bastard child.”

That last comment broke Rachel out of her current state. She looked up to see Quinn’s eyes and could see the tears starting to stream down her cheek. Rachel knew that the blonde loved Beth and the hardest thing she ever had to do was give her daughter up.

Rachel stood and sat down on Quinn’s lap. She pulled the blonde towards her and held her in a tight embrace. She could feel the shakes from the silent sobs Quinn was now releasing. Her shirt was being painted with tear drops. Rachel just pulled her closer and placed reassuring kisses to Quinn’s hair.

“Shhh baby, it’s okay,” Rachel whispered.

Rachel could hear security grab Russell and lead him out the doors of the hospital. The brunette was surprised that no one had decided to lead him out earlier, but she thinks both Quinn and Judy needed to release some anger. She just wished he was taken away before he completely broke Quinn.

“I’ll go tell your nurses you are done with physio today. I think everyone needs a break.”

Rachel mouthed a thank you as Betty made her way down the hall. Rachel could hear the sound of Judy’s heels approaching before she felt arms surrounding both her and Quinn.

“I’m so sorry girls. I didn’t want that to happen. No one should ever have to deal with the terror that is Russell Fabray.”

“It’s okay Judy, I’ll survive.”

Quinn turned her face so she could look up at her mother, “I lived with him for 16 years mom. It may sting now but I’ll get over it.”

“He shouldn’t have come in the first place. I’m so sorry Quinnie.”

“Mom it’s okay. Well it’s not too great right now, but it will be.”

Judy looked at her daughter with an apologetic expression. The last thing she ever wanted to do was see Quinn hurt, and here she was hurting. She was silently thankful that her daughter now had Rachel to comfort her.

Judy placed a kiss to both Quinn and Rachel’s heads before removing her arms and standing up.

“How about I go get us some food and we can have dinner like I had originally planned?”

“I think that sounds like a great idea Judy.”

“I’ll go down the street and pick up something from Breadstix. Today is a day to celebrate. You finally get to come home tomorrow.”

Quinn gave her mom a smile but it seemed kind of forced. She didn’t want it to, but the comment that her dad had made really hit a soft spot. It had been awhile since she thought about Beth. After their Sectionals performance, Shelby had skipped town and took Beth with her. Quinn assumed it would have been easier not having her around, but now it only seemed harder. She didn’t even have a number to contact Shelby.

Both Quinn and Rachel watched Judy walk out the doors and make her way to the parking lot.

“Come on baby let’s get back to your room.”

“Okay.”

Rachel placed a soft kiss to her lips before standing up. She wheeled Quinn to the elevators before pushing the up arrow. Rachel played with the ends of her hair, trying to comfort the blonde, as they waited for the doors to open.

They finally reached the third floor and Rachel wheeled Quinn back into her room.

“Do you want me to call a nurse to get you back in bed?”

“No my mom is coming back soon. It would be nice for all of us to have dinner at the table.”

Rachel can tell by the tone of Quinn’s voice that something is bothering her. When Quinn forces a smile, it doesn’t reach her eyes and brighten them like it usually does. It scares Rachel to see Quinn like this.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Rachel questioned.

“Truthfully, not really.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Can we maybe do it after? I was kind of looking forward to a drama free dinner. And I don’t want my mom to be sad about my dad coming in here. I don’t want her to think it was her fault.”

“Of course baby,” Rachel walked towards Quinn and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. “But you promise you will talk to me later, right?”

“Of course.”

Rachel placed a soft peck to Quinn’s lips before she began setting up the room for their dinner. The brunette cleared the small table and put one of the many flower arrangements in the center. She walked over to the bed and made it quickly, not wanting to seem messy.

“Baby, it’s just my mom, you don’t need to clean,” Quinn chuckled lightly.

“I just want to have a nice dinner,” Rachel pouted.

“Good company is was makes a nice dinner. You and my mom are the best company I can have.”

“Well aren’t you just the charmer,” Rachel smiled.

“How else would I have got you,” Quinn smiled back.

It wasn’t her usual cheery self but it was a start. Rachel sat on Quinn’s lap and wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck, pulling her into a kiss. The two smiled against each other’s lips as they shut the world out around them. Quinn was about to deepen the kiss when she heard a gasp at the door.

“Okay girls, I know you love each other, but mother in the room. Can we keep the PDA to a minimum while I am here?”

“Yes mom.”

“Yes Judy.”

Judy smiled at the girls as she made her way over to the small table. She pulled out the various cartons and take out containers from the paper bag before tucking the empty bag under the table. She ushered for both Quinn and Rachel to come over and eat.

“I bet Santana would be over here in a heartbeat is she knew we were having Breadstix.”

“Please, she is probably there right now with her wheelbarrow.”

“Actually, I think I saw her there when I went to pick up the food,” The three doubled over in laughter.

Judy took in the scene before her and couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in her chest. As she looked at both of the girls before her, she could tell how utterly happy and in love they were. Their clasped hands rested on top of the table while they ate. She caught them stealing kisses when they thought she wasn’t looking. Looking at the brunette, she already considered her a daughter. No matter what happened, Rachel would always be a part of their family.

Banter was thrown across the table as well as small talk. The hours seemed to slip away as the three enjoyed a nice meal. They managed to bounce back from the commotion earlier, even if it was only for a few hours.

Soon Judy was packing the empty containers into the bag before standing to make her way home.

“Well that was a lovely dinner. Thank you for the lovely evening girls.”

“Anytime mom,” Quinn smiled.

“We’ll have to do this again. Maybe in the company of the Berry men as well,” Rachel added.

“That sounds lovely, I look forward to it.”

Judy wrapped her arms around Quinn before placing a kiss to her temple, whispering her goodbyes and apologies into her ear. She then made her way over to Rachel and did the same thing.

“You make sure you get home safe, you hear?”

“I promise Judy,” Rachel smiled.

Judy picked up the Breadstix bag giving one last wave before she headed out the door. Noting the late time, Rachel called one of the nurses in to help Quinn out of her wheelchair and into her bed. When she left, Rachel hopped on the bed and curled into Quinn’s side.

“I hate Sundays.”

“Me too,” Quinn responded as her fingers combed through Rachel’s hair. “But hey, I will be home tomorrow. No more visiting hours or nurses walking in.”

Both girls laughed and Quinn placed a kiss to Rachel’s forehead.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“You do, but I think it’s best if you let me in. We have to start being open and honest with each other if this relationship is going to last. I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon.”

Rachel placed a kiss to Quinn’s collar bone before resting her head back against the blonde’s chest. She could hear the gears turning in Quinn’s head, clearly trying to sort through her thoughts. After a big sigh Quinn answered.

“I miss her Rach.”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Quinn was talking about Beth. Rachel knew that Russell had hit a soft spot by bringing up the girl’s daughter earlier in the day.

“I know you do baby,” Rachel searched for Quinn’s left hand and intertwined their fingers.

“I thought it was going to be easier with her gone, but I am a mess.”

“Why did you think it would be easier?”

Quinn paused taking a deep breath before continuing. “When I gave her up, I thought that was going to be the end of it. It was hard, but at least I didn’t have to see her. I didn’t have to see all the moments of her life I was missing out on.”

“I thought Shelby sent you pictures.”

“She did, but I gave them all to Puck. It hurt too much to see her.”

“How did you feel when she came back?”

“At first I still didn’t want to see her, it was still too hard. Then Puck started talking about her, talking about seeing her. I just had to see her. When I did, I just couldn’t get enough. She had Puck’s smile and my eyes. I fell in love all over again,” Quinn paused taking a shaky breath. Rachel could tell she was tearing up. “I made a mistake trying to get her back, then Shelby just up and left. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her. She didn’t even leave a number so I can contact her.”

Rachel looked up to see tears streaming down Quinn’s face. She let go of the blonde’s hand to use the pad of her thumb to wipe away the falling tears. She kissed each of the blonde’s cheeks before placing a soft kiss to her lips. She pulled back and rested her forehead against Quinn’s.

“Do you still want to contact her?”

It was a big question to answer. Sometimes Quinn forgot that Shelby was her mom. The two were so similar, almost identical, but no one had a heart like Rachel Berry. She still didn’t know if she wanted to contact Shelby again. It hurt enough to let go of Beth once, she didn’t know if she could do it again.

“I don’t know Rachel.”

“If you ever want to find her, you let me know. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel’s neck and pulled her into a searing kiss. She still didn’t know what she did to deserve Rachel, it was a mystery. And yet here she was-wrapped in her arms- her lips pressed against her own.

Quinn pulled back after lengthy minutes before whispering a thank you against Rachel’s lips.

“You’re welcome baby.”

Before Shelby had skipped town she had left her contact information with Rachel. The two were far from having a good relationship, but Shelby insisted that the girl call her when she landed a big role or when she got into NYADA. She may not have been the greatest mother but she was all Rachel had. The starlet was going to take all she could get.

Shelby had moved a few towns over, a minimal 6 hour drive. She told Rachel she had a friend out there who needed someone to split rent with, so she took the offer and skipped town. Rachel was kind of sad to see her go. It seemed like they were finally getting to the point of an actual relationship. Rachel so desperately wanted that. Now that there was the possibility that Quinn wanted to contact her as well, she couldn’t help but see it as a blessing in disguise.

The two laid curled up in each other, sharing lazy kisses and whispering “I love yous.” Before long the time had slipped away and it was time for Rachel to leave for the night. She had school the next day and couldn’t stay the night.

“Did I mention that I hated Sundays?”

“You may have mentioned it before,” Quinn chuckled.

“You promise you will call me as soon as you get discharged. I want to see you.”

“Of course baby.”

Quinn placed a lingering kiss to Rachel’s lips before she heard Rachel groan. Quinn couldn’t help but smile against her lips.

“Alright, if I don’t go now I never will.”

“You don’t hear me complaining,” Quinn smiled.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Smile, it is making it so much harder to leave.”

Quinn chuckled at how ridiculous her girlfriend was being. Rachel pouted but it soon lifted into a smile.

“Alright, I really have to go.”

“Okay, I love you baby.”

“I love you to,” Rachel whispered before she placed a kiss to Quinn’s lips.

She reluctantly pulled away and got off the bed. Quinn watched as she gathered all of her things and put it into her small overnight bag. Before she made it to the door, she ran back and gave Quinn three more soft pecks before leaving Quinn. It was official, her girlfriend was a dork.


	12. The Surprise

Rachel sat in the back of the classroom, trying her best to stay attentive. Over the past few weeks, her life had changed drastically. She lost who she thought was the love of her life to gain the true love of her life. And even through the confusion of it all, she was ultimately happy. It had been a long time since should could say that and be sincere about it.

The brunette sat in the back of the room, mindlessly doodling in the corner of her notebook. She was usually a focused student, but with senior year winding down, her attention seemed to slip away. She still had her 4.0 GPA, but she found she no longer needed to use the distraction of books and learning to hide away from her life. Right now, her life was pretty good.

However, there were always those down days in her life. Every day couldn’t be rainbows and butterflies. Yesterday, the whole Russell situation was definitely a bump in the road. She knew her and Quinn would eventually move past that but it would be a long road. She was then reminded of another clouded day in her life when she looked to the front of the classroom at the empty desk that sat there. It was Finn’s desk.

Finn was still MIA, Rachel assuming he was still up north with family. She had tried to send him emails, asking him how he was doing. Was he okay? Was he happy? But they all remained unanswered. She couldn’t really blame him either; she broke his heart. When she gazed upon that empty desk, a tinge of guilt rose in her chest. She didn’t want it to be like this. The last thing she wanted was for someone to get hurt, but in the end, that’s what happened. No matter what she did, someone was going to get hurt. So in the end, she followed her heart. And if she had to do it again, she would do it a million times over because in the end she got her girl. She got to have Quinn. Rachel would take all the guilt in the world as long she could have Quinn by her side for the rest of her life. And that was the plan; Quinn would be hers for the rest of her life.

Even though she couldn’t be happier, she couldn’t help but feel sad at knowing she lost a friend. Even though Finn had his moments where he was not the best boyfriend or fiancé, in the end, he was her very first friend. For a lot of the time, people just tolerated Rachel. She never really had any friends. She got slushy facials on a daily basis and was teased for her dreams and her family. It was hard. It took one day, one club that brought a smorgasbord of people together; the jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds, the Broadway geeks. It was Glee club that brought her and Finn together in one of the strangest friendships. Even though at first it was only in private, he believed she was a star and that she was going places. That meant a lot to her. She wondered where along the line Finn lost the boy he used to be and turned into the person he is now. However before he left, she saw a faint glimpse of the old Finn. She just wanted her friend back.

Now here she sits in the classroom, without Finn sitting a few rows ahead if her, but her focus drifts from the empty seat towards the clock hung on the wall. Since the class had started, she had been counting the minutes until the day was over. Today was the day Quinn was finally coming home and Rachel couldn’t have been happier.

Along with checking the clock every 30 seconds, she couldn’t help but check her phone simultaneously. She was waiting for a text or a call, telling her that Quinn was being discharged and to come to the hospital to help her mom get her home. But the more times she looked at the clock, the slower it seemed to move. And the more time that passed on, the more Rachel had to listen to Mr. Shue drone on in poor Spanish.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bell finally sounded and students began filing out of the room. Rachel packed her books in her bag and began to head towards her locker to grab her homework for the evening. While she was pulling out her history textbook, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Excuse me, Ms. Berry?”

Rachel turned to see Sam smiling widely. She didn’t think it was possible, but his mouth seemed even bigger. She also couldn’t help but think he looked impossibly cute. She could definitely see why Mercedes liked him.

“Hi Sam, is there a reason you are being so formal or is this some sort of prank? Am I on Punk’d? Oh my god, are there cameras?”

Rachel started looking around for seemingly hidden cameras before she felt a solid hand on her shoulder.

“Rachel, you’re not on Punk’d. I have been ordered to escort you to your car.”

“Okay, but why?” Rachel replied, clearly confused on why she now needed an escort to her car.

“I think it’s best if you don’t ask questions. Besides, you don’t want to ruin the surprise now, do you?”

“There’s a surprise? What surprise? Sam you know I hate surprises.”

“Actually I don’t, but now that I do, remind me I have to kill someone later. I was not paid to deal with a diva.”

Rachel huffed ready to give her rebuttal but knew it was pointless. Trying to argue that she was not a diva was a waste of time. She was in fact a diva, just not in the context that Sam had put it in. She decided to swallow her pride and finish putting her books into her bag. When she closed her locker, Sam held out his arm for her.

“Right this way Ms. Berry.”

“Sam, you don’t have to call me Ms. Berry. You can call me Rachel.”

“No can do. If I want the $20 to buy new comic books, I have to follow orders.”

“Orders? Who gave you orders?”

“You will see.”

Rachel didn’t have to see, she had a pretty good idea it was Quinn. She just didn’t know why Sam was escorting her to her car to see Quinn at the hospital. However, she was going to do as she was asked and not question Sam. She threw her bag over her shoulder and looped her arm with Sam’s. They walked slowly through the hall, weaving through the crowd of students, before finally exiting out of the front doors. Rachel saw her car but became confused when she was being lead towards Sam’s truck.

“Okay, you do realize my prius is over there, right?”

“Yes, but my truck is over here.”

“Why are we going to your truck? Are you going to kidnap me?”

“No I am not going to kidnap you. What is with you going to the most extreme outcomes?”

“It’s part of my DNA,” Sam let out a chuckle.

“I have a surprise, but you need to close your eyes so I can go get it.”

“After just talking about being kidnapped, the idea of closing my eyes while standing in the middle of a parking lot does not sound like the best idea.”

“Trust me, if you close your eyes, the surprise will be so worth it.”

The brunette eyed Sam warily, but after a moment, she decided to shut her eyes. In the grand scheme of things, Sam was completely harmless. He was more like a cute puppy than a menace to society.  Also, he didn’t have the most brains in the world. She assumed he was being sincere in his promises. Besides, this most likely had something to do with Quinn, so it could never truly be bad.

Rachel waited as she heard Sam step towards his truck. She heard him open the trunk to get something out of the truck bed. The idea of being kidnapped was starting coming back into her head. She heard Sam grunt as he was struggling to lift something out of the bed before he place said object on the ground with a relieved sigh. She stood there for a moment, taking in the sudden silence before hearing a voice that forced her eyes to flutter open.

“Rachel?”

There before her was her wheelchair bound girlfriend.

“Quinn! Oh my god, what are you doing here?”

“I came here to surprise you and clearly it worked. I thought Sam was going to let it slip before he got you out here.”

“Well surprised I am. Hi.”

Rachel ran those few feet to Quinn before perching herself on her girlfriend’s lap. Before Quinn could even respond, Rachel had pulled her into a searing kiss. From the outside looking in, it would look like they hadn’t seen each other in months. The truth was it hadn’t even been 24 hours.

Quinn smiled against Rachel’s lips, loving how utterly adorable Rachel was. She was never going to get over how adorable Rachel is. Quinn pulled back before finally responding.

“Hi baby.”

“Ahem.”

Rachel and Quinn both turned to find a red faced Sam scuffing his shoe against the pavement. Rachel and Quinn both grinned at how adorably embarrassed Sam was. He truly was a child at heart. However, Rachel decided to hold off on the PDA in front of him for now. A task much easier said than done.

“Sorry Sam, we’ll tone it down.”

“Thank you,” Rachel and Quinn both chuckled.

“Baby, how did you get here? I thought you were going to call or text me when you were getting discharged.”

“I know, but I got out early and I didn’t want you to miss class. Besides, I was planning another surprise for you.”

“Babe, you know I hate surprises,” Rachel pouted and Quinn chuckled before giving her a small peck. Rachel quickly smiled before muttering an apology to Sam.

“I think you will like this surprise Rachel Berry.”

“Oh really,” Rachel smirked before starting to lean in.

“Seriously, did you not promise to hold off on the PDA like 2 minutes ago?”

“I can’t help it, have you seen my girlfriend. She’s hot,” Rachel responded.

“Can you not give a warning or something?”

“Fine, we’ll stop...for now,” both Rachel and Quinn laughed.

Rachel eyed the truck before looking between both Sam and Quinn. When she was standing with her eyes closed a few minutes ago, she remembered Sam opening the trunk to his truck but not the passenger door. She turned to glare at Sam for a moment before looking back at Quinn.

“Babe, how did Sam get you here?”

“With his truck...” Quinn replied, clearly confused by what Rachel was getting at.

“When my eyes were closed, I only heard Sam open the trunk to the truck bed.”

“Oh crap,” Rachel heard Sam mutter out.

“Wait a second; you put my girlfriend in the back of the truck to drive her here?”

“Well...um...m-maybe.”

“Sam Evans I will kill you!”

Rachel shouted as she stood up from Quinn’s lap. Before the blonde could reach out to stop her, she was already pummeling her fists into his chest and biceps. Sam seemed like he was getting a little bruised, but the imagery was too funny for Quinn not to laugh at.

“Are you nuts? She almost dies in a car accident and you decided to put her in your truck bed! What were you thinking?”

“I secured her with ropes and stuff,” Sam voiced, clearly scared of the tiny diva.

“Ropes? Ropes!” Rachel shouted.

Rachel was about to attack the boy once more when she felt fingers wrapped lightly around her wrist, successfully stopping her advances.

“Baby stop. Look, I am completely fine. Sure it wasn’t the best idea, but I didn’t want him to have to lift me out of the truck. I thought it would give the surprise away.”

“I don’t care if he gave the surprise away, you are my main concern. Your safety is my concern. I can’t lose you again.”

“Baby, come here.”

Quinn pulled Rachel down to sit in her lap before she wrapped her arms around the petit starlet. She felt Rachel take a shaky breath before releasing it into her hair as she buried her face into Quinn’s neck. She looked over Rachel’s shoulder at Sam. He looked, understanding what Quinn wanted, and he walked away leaving the two girls alone.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m freaking out but I just got you and I don’t want to let go yet.”

“You’re not going to have to Rachel. I right here baby. I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”

“Do you promise?”

“I wish I could promise you that, but the truth is, none of us know if we are going to be here tomorrow. I do know one thing though; as long as I am here, I will be right beside you, okay?”

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, it’s my fault. I should have thought about it before I gave Sam the go ahead.”

“Oh god, Sam. He is going to hate me.”

“He doesn’t hate you Rachel, he understands. He understands how much you love me and that is why I asked for his help today.”

“For the surprise?”

“Yeah. I needed him to drive me, and since you can’t really lift me, I needed him to help me out.”

Rachel signed. She knew Quinn was trying to do something special for her, and because of her limitations, she needed help. She just wished Sam would have been more careful than to just secure her girlfriend in the truck bed.

Rachel placed a lingering kiss to Quinn’s temple before pulling away to speak again.

“Thank you for doing something special for me, and sorry I freaked out. Why don’t we call Sam over here so we can get to this surprise?”

“It’s okay baby. Let’s go get him right now.”

“On one condition, you are riding right beside me in that truck.”

“Deal,” Quinn smiled before giving Rachel a chaste peck.

Quinn gave a nod of approval for Sam to come back over. He walked back slowly, aware that Rachel was still more or less mad at him, before he stood beside the girls. Rachel stood up from the wheelchair and Sam flinched, prepared for her tiny fists. Both Quinn and Rachel laughed before Rachel wrapped her arms around Sam, pulling him into an embrace. He tensed at first, but quickly hugged back.

“Thank you for helping out, and I am sorry for hitting you.”

Sam chuckled, “It’s okay, I deserved it. Besides, you really didn’t do much damage.”

Rachel laughed before pulling away from the embrace, “So why don’t you help get us to this surprise. And this time, you are not putting my girl in the truck bed.”

Both Quinn and Sam laughed at the tiny starlet, “I promise I won’t put your girl in the truck bed. That was a one time deal.”

All three laughed before making their way towards Sam’s truck. Rachel pushed Quinn to the passenger side before opening up the passenger door. The brunette slid herself into the seat first, feeling as if it was better for her to sit in the middle. Rachel watched as Sam lifted Quinn out of her wheelchair and into the truck. He waited until Quinn was settled before softly closing the door. He placed Quinn’s wheelchair in the back before rounding the truck and hopping into the driver’s seat. He started the truck and they were soon pulling out of the school parking lot.

“Just a quick question, who’s going to get my car?”

“Your dad is going to pick it up.”

“My dads know about this?”

“Well I kind was old fashioned and asked their permission to take you to your surprise.”

Rachel beamed before pulling Quinn into a slow kiss. The kiss lasted for a lengthy moment. She ignored the way Sam coughed awkwardly and turned up the twangy country music. All that matter was Quinn. She pulled out of the kiss and rested her head on Quinn’s shoulder, closing her eyes simultaneously.

It was only a few minutes before Sam stopped the truck. When Rachel opened her eyes, she noticed they were out front of Quinn’s house. The look of the house had not really changed since she had last been here a month or two ago. Some of the furniture outside was new and there was now a wheelchair ramp so Quinn could get in and out of the house with ease.

While she was lost in observation, she heard the driver’s side door shut. She looked to the rear view mirror to see Sam pulling Quinn’s wheelchair out of the truck bed before pulling the passenger door open.

“Right this way, Ms. Fabray,” both Rachel and Quinn laughed as Sam cradled the blonde in his arms before placing her down in her chair. Rachel slid across the seat, ready to hop out, when Sam held out a hand for her. She blushed before grabbing his hand as she got out of the truck.

“Thanks for the help today, Sam.”

“Anytime, Quinn.”

Quinn quickly slipped a 20 dollar bill into Sam’s hand. He waved goodbye to both girls before hopping in his truck and driving away. Rachel walked behind Quinn and started pushing her towards the house.

“Is this part of the surprise?”

“Well considering I have certain limitations right now, yes,” Quinn chuckled.

“I don’t care where we are or what we do, as long as I’m with you.”

Rachel stopped in front of Quinn’s door before bending down to place a chaste kiss on Quinn’s lips.

“Are you trying to upstage me?”

“Maybe,” Rachel smirked.

“Well, it’s working.”

“Good,” Rachel whispered as she placed a soft kiss to Quinn’s lips.

Rachel stood up reluctantly and pushed the door open. She helped Quinn inside before closing the door behind them. The house was dark, or what was considered dark for the late afternoon. However, the seemingly dark house clearly showed no one was home. She could smell candles and food throughout the house. She was about to walk forward before Quinn stopped her.

“Just wait here a second, okay?”

“Sure thing baby.”

Quinn placed a soft kiss to Rachel’s cheek before wheeling herself down the hall. Rachel waited anxiously for the blonde. She got especially nervous when she heard to banging around in the kitchen. After roughly 10 minutes, Quinn was wheeling her way back to the front foyer.

“This way, beautiful.”

Rachel beamed before following Quinn.

When they finally got to the dining room, Rachel’s mouth gapped open at the sight. Candles were lit to light the darker room. On the table sat dinner that smelled amazingly good.

Quinn ushered Rachel to her seat and made her sit down. She placed a soft kiss to Rachel’s lips before finding her place at the head of the table.

“Quinn, you did all this.”

“Well  since we’ve been together, I’ve noticed we haven’t been on an actual date. Unless you count lunch at the hospital cafe or when my mom would bring us dinner,” Rachel chuckled. “I mean, I planned to do something bigger, but this will have to do for now. The food is ordered from Breadstix and my mom helped set up, but I wanted to take you on a date. I hope it’s enough.”

Rachel’s eyes started to well up with tears before she answered Quinn, “Baby, it’s perfect. I love it so much. I love you so much.”

She closed the small gap between them and placed a firm kiss to the blonde’s lips. Rachel heard Quinn take a small intake of air through her nose before kissing back. Both pulled away slightly breathless and with shy smiles on their faces. Neither of them would ever get used to the feeling of kissing each other.

“I love you too, Rachel. I promise one day I will take you on the best date ever...”

Rachel grabbed Quinn’s hand, silencing her before she interrupted, “Quinn, this is already the best date I have ever been on and you want to know why?” Quinn nodded. “It’s already the best date because I’m with you. I already told you, I don’t care where we are or what we’re doing, as long as I am with you. As long as you are here with me, it will be the best date.”

Quinn gave her a watery smile before kissing the back of her hand.

“I love you, Rachel.”

“I love you too, Quinn.”

Quinn gave a watery chuckle before she wiped a few stray tears away from her eyes. Rachel lifted her other hand and used the pad of her thumb to wipe away a tear that Quinn had missed. The blonde grabbed Rachel’s hand and kissed her palm before releasing it.

“Why don’t we dig in before the food gets cold?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Rachel smiled.

The two ate dinner and shared quiet conversation. They shared laughs, shy smiles and chaste kisses. It was everything Rachel had always wanted from a date. With all the relationships she has had, she had only been on three dates. They were all with Finn, but they were never like this. She could never eat the food because he always forgot she was vegan. He mostly droned on about football and popularity, so she usually became bored easily. With Quinn, conversation flowed freely. Quinn asked about Rachel’s day and vise versa. Rachel asked how her physiotherapy was that morning. Quinn asked how her classes were. Even in the moments of quiet silence between them, it was never awkward. Rachel never thought she could have this with someone, but she was glad she found it with Quinn.

When they finished dinner, Rachel offered to clean up. Before she could grab the plates, Quinn grabbed her hand.

“Before we clean up, I have something for you.”

Rachel sat back down in her chair before meeting Quinn’s gaze.

“I had gotten this before the accident to give to you on your wedding day. You know the phrase ‘something borrowed.’” Rachel gave a watery smile remembering that day. The guilt was starting to rise in her chest before she felt Quinn squeezing her hand, chasing the guilt away. “That day wasn’t your fault Rachel. If that day didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you. If I had to do this all over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing,” Quinn pulled Rachel forward into a soft kiss before pulling back. She placed a small box in Rachel’s hands. “It was originally something borrowed, but now it’s a little piece of me.”

Rachel placed as lingering kiss to the corner of Quinn’s mouth before opening up the box. Inside was a gold charm bracelet with three charms on it. One was the letter ‘Q,’ the other was a gold star and the last was an apple.

“I added some of the charms to it, but the bracelet and the ‘Q’ charm were originally mine. My mom bought it when I started high school as congratulations for making Cheerios.”

“Quinn, it’s beautiful, but I can’t take this from you.”

“You’re not taking this from me; I am giving this to you. I want you to have this,” Quinn reached over and grabbed the bracelet out of the box. She lightly grabbed Rachel’s wrist before placing the bracelet around the brunette’s wrist and closing the clasp. “The letter ‘Q’ is to let you know that I am always yours, no matter what.”

“And you always will be,” Rachel smiled.

“The gold star is because you are going to be a star Rachel Berry. You are going to be the brightest star out there and the light and the talent you emit will make everyone else jealous,” Rachel gave a watery smile. “Plus I heard stars were your thing,” Rachel chuckled.

“And the apple is for you going to New York to follow your dream. You belong on the stage Rachel Berry and that is where you are going to end up. And while you are singing on that stage, I will be sitting in the front row cheering you on every night. I know you’re going to NYADA...”

“I haven’t even gotten in yet.”

“But you will Rachel. I know it. You belong there. And even though we will be a train ride away, nothing is ever going to come between us. When I go to Yale and you go to NYADA, we will make it work. We will make it work because now that I have you, I can’t picture a future without you in it.”

Tears were freely falling down Rachel’s cheeks. She stood up from the table and placed herself in Quinn’s lap. She wrapped her arms around Quinn’s neck before pulling her into a heated kiss. Quinn ran her tongue along Rachel’s bottom lip before deepening the kiss. They kissed for lengthy minutes, almost as if they were afraid to stop in fear that this was all just a dream. When they pulled out of it, Rachel peppered Quinn’s face with soft kisses before pulling her into a tight embrace.

“I love you so much, Quinn Fabray.”

“I love you more, Rachel Berry.”


	13. Coffee Kisses

The roads felt all too familiar as she weaved through the residential streets. It had become her routine for a few weeks now. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Rachel would quickly rush home from school, leaving a note for her dads, before heading off to Lima Medical for Quinn’s physiotherapy appointments. She could have gotten a ride with Quinn but the blonde tended to slip out of last period earlier, and Rachel always wanted her dads to know where she was, even if they already knew.

 She pulled into her usual spot in front of the Lima Bean, yet another part of her routine. She would grab herself a much needed coffee, as well as a coffee for Betty. Over the past few weeks, the two had become even closer than before, even if she thought that was impossible.

Rachel would also use this time to grab Quinn a coffee or a pastry as incentive for her therapy. Sometimes all the kisses in the world weren’t enough, but a cherry danish was.

She tried not to be offended when she was replaced by a pastry. After all, a girl had to eat.

She pulled the heavy metal door, allowing customers to filter out, before she walked into the warmth of the Lima Bean. An instant smile pulled at her lips when she saw Cody serving customers behind the counter. He looked up and met her gaze, a smile instantly pulling at his lips as well.

“Well, look at what the cat dragged in.”

“I feel like I should be offended. Most of the time, whatever the cat drags in is never pretty.”

“Well maybe it decided to make an exception this time,” Rachel couldn’t help but blush at the comment.

Cody was no threat though. Despite his flirty nature, his comments were all in good fun. He never once tried to overstep his boundaries. He knew Rachel was with Quinn, and even with the girl in a wheelchair, the blonde was extremely threatening. She once told him, for good measure, that if he made a move on Rachel, the first thing she would do when she regained the use of her would be to kick his ass.

Rachel supposed it didn’t matter to Quinn that Cody already had a girlfriend. Either way, she would never pass up an opportunity to see possessive Quinn. The brunette thought it was extremely sexy.

Cody served the rest of the customers in line before Rachel stood in front of the register. She was about to order when Cody held up his hand.

“Are you seriously going to give me your order right now?”

“Well, that is the idea. You know, the customer orders and you give the customer said order,” Rachel smiled.

“Yes, but you are also in here twice a week. At this point, I know your order off by heart.”

“Fine, then. What am I going to order?”

“You, my lady, are going to order a regular coffee with two sugars for Betty, though you are trying to convince her to cut down on the sugar.” Rachel blushed slightly. “A vanilla soy latte for yourself because you are vegan and want to stick to your morals, even if you gave me a 15 minute speech about how you might become vegetarian. Though from watching you scarf down some of our pastries, you have obviously already converted.” Rachel could feel her cheeks getting warmer by the second. “And a cherry danish for Quinn, that about right?”

 Rachel opened and closed her mouth, speechless. She knew she could be predictable, just not that predictable. But a smile quickly formed on her lips.

“You forgot Quinn’s coffee.”

“You don’t usually get her coffee.”

“Well, I am today,” she smirked.

“Well played, Berry. Let me add a caramel macchiato to that list.”

Rachel watched as Cody moved behind the counter with ease. She could only be thankful she didn’t work in a coffee shop. While she was an avid coffee lover, she would surely get confused with the numerous machines for pouring, steaming and other various functions.

She realized she was lost in his fluid motion when he placed the drinks and the danish in front of her, having to give her a warning cough so she would hand over the money. She quickly collected her change before walking away from the counter, waving goodbye to Cody as she was leaving.

She was lost in the scenery of her familiar drive to Lima Medical. It sometimes surprised Rachel how far everything had come in a few short weeks. Quinn, firstly, had made a lot of progress. Sometimes it blew Rachel away how brave and strong the girl was. For Quinn to come back from the most impossible situation to be where she was now was remarkable. It wasn’t all easy. Some days Quinn pushed her away, sometimes a little too hard, but other days she held Rachel closer than ever. It was definitely a bumpy road, but they were making it one step at a time, figuratively speaking.

 Sometimes she was just lost in the idea of how they got to here in the first place. Not only that Quinn was healing, but that she even had Quinn to call her own. Quinn was _hers_. And even after all this time, sometimes that idea felt foreign in her mind, or the word _girlfriend_ felt foreign rolling off of her tongue.

But she wouldn’t trade the feeling she got when she walked beside Quinn proudly in the McKinley halls, or when she placed a chaste kiss to her lips before and after classes. Nothing would make her trade that feeling.

She pulled into the hospital parking lot, paying the lot toll at the kiosk. She weaved through the numerous parking levels before she found an open space and pulled in. She made quick strides as she made her way to the front desk, balancing the drinks in her hand. She started smiling when Betty came into view.

“Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?” Rachel asked as she approached the desk.

“Well hey there stranger. I don’t know, my mama always said ‘never take anything from a stranger.’”

“Well, were all allowed to break the rules now and then,” Rachel voiced as she handed the cup of hot coffee over to Betty.

“Thank you,” Betty took a tentative sip before emitting a sigh of appreciation. “I tell ya, when you have to drink the hospital crap the entire day, you almost forget how real coffee is supposed to taste like.”

“Well I am glad I can brighten your day.”

“You always do,” Betty beamed.

“Well I would love to chat, but there is an adorable blonde I am supposed to see.”

“Room 407.”

“I know,” Rachel replied over her shoulder.

Rachel made her way down the corridor, waving at the familiar doctors and nurses that passed by. She knew a majority of them by their first name, but she always called them by their last name to be polite.

She asked Sarah, one of the nurses, how her boys were doing. She asked the group of doctors if they won their baseball game and she was happy to hear they had. It was the first game they had won all season.

She finally arrived at the elevator, eagerly pushing the button. The elevator arrived later rather than earlier, but she soon made it to the 4th floor and down the hall to room 407.

She slowly opened the door, only a crack to see how Quinn was doing. She never liked to enter in the middle of an exercise. She had made that mistake before, and it usually ended up distracting Quinn and prevented her from completing the exercise. Rachel had to laugh the day the doctor told her to hang back until the end of Quinn’s exercises before entering the room.

However, when she peered in, she could seem Quinn in her chair. The expression of her face appeared to be angry, or Quinn was just being stubborn. Rachel fully opened the door before walking in and closing it behind her.

“Ah, look who it is. Maybe you can brighten Ms. Fabray’s mood today.”

“Are we being stubborn today?” Rachel asked Quinn.

“No-”

“-Yes,” both Quinn and the nurse replied at the same time.

Rachel peered around the room to see what Quinn was being stubborn about. It was then her eyes landed on the textured, railed strip near to where Quinn was sitting. She remembered that they were going to try walking for the first time today. Rachel remembered having a discussion about this day. It was one of the nights Quinn had pushed her away.

_Both Quinn and Rachel were lying on the blonde’s bed, noses both buried in their respective textbooks. During the week, the two would normally spend their evenings at Quinn’s, as it was easier for Quinn to be at her own home than to be carted around at Rachel’s. Weekends were reserved for dinner and karaoke nights at the Berry household, as there was more time and more hands to help move Quinn around the house._

_Quinn was lying with her back against the pillows. Catcher in the Rye was in her left hand, and her right hand was combing her fingers through Rachel’s hair, which was splayed across her lap._

_Rachel’s head lay in Quinn’s lap as she tried her best to focus on her history homework. It was proving to be extremely difficult as the movement of Quinn’s fingers were forcing her eyes to grow heavier with each passing minute. She also couldn’t help when her right hand would involuntarily reach for Quinn’s and begin to play with the blonde’s slender fingers._

_They were content to say the least._

_Rachel placed her history book to her side, seeing as she was getting nothing accomplished, and she rolled onto her stomach to face Quinn._

_“That doesn’t look like studying,” Quinn voiced._

_“Feels like studying to me,” Rachel answered, moving closer to Quinn._

_“History?” Quinn questioned, smirking._

_“You didn’t specify,” Rachel returned the smirk before placing a soft kiss to Quinn’s neck._

_“If you keep doing that, none of us are going to get anything done,” Quinn was already faltering under Rachel’s lips, but she attempted to keep her composure._

_“You don’t hear me complaining,” Rachel said, placing a kiss to Quinn’s lips, the blonde emitting a soft moan from the back of her throat. “Besides, you already read the Catcher in the Rye 3 times.”_

_Quinn smirked, dropping the book to the side as her hands quickly found Rachel’s hips. The brunette moved her leg, successfully straddling Quinn before their lips found each other again. Rachel’s hands moved from gripping around Quinn’s neck to tangling in short, blonde locks. The petite brunette ran a skilled tongue across Quinn’s bottom lip, pleading to be granted access. It wasn’t long before Quinn parted her lips, allowing Rachel’s hot tongue to roll against her own. Rachel pulled back, and Quinn quickly followed, her tongue flicking against Rachel’s before running against the back of the brunette’s teeth._

_Rachel felt the kiss ignite her whole body, her skin felt like it was on fire. Her core was throbbing painfully at the feeling of Quinn sucking on her tongue. She began rolling her hips against Quinn, trying to seek friction. Quinn pulled back, biting at Rachel’s bottom lip before panting out her protest._

_“Wait, Rach?”_

_“What’s up?” Rachel asked as she continued to assault Quinn’s neck._

_“As much as I hate myself for saying this, I think we need to slow down.”_

_Rachel pulled back, lips red and swollen, and her breaths were short and quick. It took a lot of effort for Quinn not to forget her protests and capture Rachel’s lips once more._

_“Did I do something wrong?”_

_“No, it’s just...I want to wait. You know, until I am back to being me before we go any further.”_

_They had talked about this a few times. Though each time it was getting harder to stop, Quinn wanted to be out of a wheelchair before they decided to have sex. Not that it stopped them from venturing a little further than making out, but Quinn didn’t want to push the line today, especially when her mom was downstairs._

_“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just...God, you are so sexy I can’t help myself sometimes,” Quinn blushed under the compliment. “Do you want to talk about that?”_

_“Talk about what?”_

_“Next week is when you are supposed to start walking, right?”_

_“Yeah, I guess. But don’t give your hopes up Rachel, it may not happen.”_

_“Maybe not next week, but it will happen. You have been making such amazing progress. I have no doubt in my mind you will be ready to start walking next week.”_

_“What if I can’t?” Quinn questioned._

_“You’ll just have to keep trying-”_

_“-No, what if I never walk again?”_

_“Quinn you will-”_

_“But what if I don’t, Rach? What if I am stuck in this chair for the rest of my life?”_

_“Baby, that’s not going to happen,” Rachel reached her hand up to push back a piece of blonde hair, before Quinn smacked it away. Rachel wasn’t sure where this animosity was coming from, but it was definitely new._

_“You don’t know that. No one knows anything!”_

_“Quinn, the doctors-”_

_“Ha, the doctors. I know what they told me. But look at what they told Artie.”_

_“Quinn. Artie’s different-”_

_“How Rachel? We are both stuck in these stupid chairs,” Rachel shrunk back a bit, unsure of what to say. She could hear the anger in Quinn’s voice and could see tears forming in the blonde’s eyes. “Did you know they told Artie he was going to walk? They said that there was a chance...”_

_Rachel watched as Quinn trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. This wasn’t the first time Rachel had seen this side of Quinn. It was all part of the recovering process. Some days, Quinn had such a determined attitude that it seemed as if she would spring up and walk right that second. And other times, she cowered away, using her chair as a shield, falling into the idea that she was never going to get better._

_The first time it happened, when Quinn got in a really bad mood, she had texted Artie and asked if she would meet with Quinn once a week. She wasn’t too keen on the idea, but she knew that the boy could be there for Quinn in ways that she couldn’t be herself. She could be the supportive girlfriend all she wanted, but she would never be able to relate._

_Artie could relate._

_But it was times like this when she regretted talking to Artie. She knew it wasn’t fair to the boy, to place Quinn in front of him, knowing she was going to get better and he would always be stuck in his chair. But Rachel felt angry at the knowledge that he was feeding her stories, stripping away her faith and determination._

_She hated him for that. For stealing that light, that hope away._

_“Quinn, you are going to walk. I know it. You just have to believe-”_

_“Is that what all this is about? It is isn’t it?”_

_“What are you talking about, Quinn?” Rachel was beginning to get frustrated._

_“You are waiting for the day I can walk. You can’t stand me being in a chair.”_

_“Of course I want you to walk, that’s what we all want-”_

_“Well what if I don’t? Would you even still love me? Would you still want to be with me?”_

_“What kind of question is that? Of course I would be with you!”_

_“You’re lying,” Quinn’s voice was full of venom._

_”You think I’m lying?” Rachel was becoming angrier with every passing second. “After your accident, I sat in your room nearly every day, just waiting for you to wake up. I would have taken you as a vegetable. I would have taken you if you were in bits and pieces, as long I got to have you. That’s all I ever wanted Quinn.” Quinn’s face fell, clearly sorry, but Rachel continued._

_“Now you say I wouldn’t love you if you couldn’t walk? I would spend the rest of my life wheeling you around, this was never about that and you know it. You are choosing to let Artie fill your head with stories, instead of listening to your doctors? You’re the one lying to yourself Quinn.”_

_Rachel stood up, collecting her books and placing them in her backpack before zipping it up and heading towards Quinn’s bedroom door._

_“Where are you going?”_

_“I think you need some space to sort yourself out, and I think it is best if I head home.”_

_“Rach-”_

_“Call me when you get over yourself.”_

_Rachel slammed the door, leaving Quinn alone in her room. That was when the faint tears began rolling down her face. She never meant to hurt Rachel, either of the numerous times she exploded, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. And sometimes, the people she loved the most got stuck in the crossfire._

_A few hours later, Quinn called Rachel to apologize. It took nearly an hour, but Rachel graciously accepted. She wasn’t really mad at Quinn, she knew this whole process was hard. It was just also hard to ignore the sting of the blonde’s words sometimes._

Rachel walked further into the room, silently asking the nurse if she and Quinn could have a moment of privacy. The nurse understood, giving Rachel a curt nod.

“I’ll be back in a moment. I just have to check on another session down the hall.”

Both Quinn and Rachel followed the nurse as she moved through the room and out the door. They both waited for the nurse to close the door behind herself, waiting for complete privacy, before they started speaking.

“So is there any particular reason you are being difficult today?” Rachel gave a faint smile as she set the two coffees and the danish on a table at the side of the room.

“You brought me coffee?” Quinn asked.

“And a danish. I thought my girl might need some extra motivation today.”

Quinn gave a faint smile, appreciating the gesture. Some days, she felt like she didn’t even deserve Rachel’s love. She tortured her for years, she sometimes even tortured her now when she would find reason to push her away, but Rachel always came back to her. She was the only one out of all the people she dated that was willing to come back to her, no matter how harsh she was.

She watched as Rachel crossed the room, sitting immediately in her lap. Quinn wrapped a protective arm around Rachel’s waist, making sure she didn’t slide off her lap, as her left hand intertwined with Rachel’s right. The small brunette laid her head on Quinn’s shoulder, letting out a comforted sigh.

“Do you want to talk about it? Hopefully without yelling at me this time,” Rachel asked. Quinn tensed slightly at the memory, but she decided she did want to talk about it.

“I’m not ready babe.”

“I think you are. I think you just forgot how to believe in yourself.”

“I think you just believe in me too much.”

“That’s kind of my job,” Quinn could feel Rachel give a weak smile against her neck and she nuzzled closer to her.

“I know, and I am thankful for it but...I-I can’t do this, not today.”

Rachel pulled away from Quinn’s neck to look at the girl. She could see tears forming in Quinn’s eyes, threatening to fall. She pulled her hand away from Quinn’s, using both hands to cup the blonde’s face. Her thumbs brushed porcelain cheeks, wiping at imaginary tears.

“You want to know what I think?”

“What?” Quinn asked, her voice watery.

“I think you can do this. You know, sometimes I think you forget who you are. You’re Quinn Fabray. You are one of the strongest people I know, even if you don’t believe it. Life has really put you through the ringer, but you come back every time. If it had been me, I would have fallen apart by now.”

Rachel watched as a lone tear streaked down Quinn’s face, making a track. Rachel quickly swiped it away with her thumb.

“And I know you probably feel so drained, but I know you have some fight in you. Just below the surface, I know how bad you want this. I know you want to stand up on that stage when you win prom queen. And I know you want to walk across the stage and accept your diploma-”

“-I want to be able to walk down the aisle with you,” Quinn added.

Rachel let out a watery chuckle, unaware that tears were forming in her own eyes. She rested her forehead against Quinn, sharing the daydream with the blonde before she continued.

“So, I am going to be waiting at the end of that strip with coffee, a cherry danish and a huge kiss waiting for you. I will be here every step of the way, literally and figuratively.”

It was then that the nurse entered the room. She paused at first, afraid she was intruding on a moment, but she continued on.

“Are we ready to try this walking thing Ms. Fabray?”

Quinn looked into Rachel’s eyes, seeing the fire that was held behind them. Rachel believed in her so much. And even if she couldn’t find that kind of belief in herself yet, she was going to try. She was going to try for Rachel.

“Yeah...I-I’m ready.”

Rachel smiled, placing a kiss to Quinn’s forehead. “I’ll be right over there, baby. Every step of the way.”

Rachel stood at the end of the walking strip, danish and coffee in both of her hands. She teasingly pretended to drink the coffee and eat the danish as the nurse prepped Quinn for her first walking session. Quinn had to try her best not to laugh so the nurse could do her job.

The goal today was to take three steps. In previous weeks, Quinn had managed to stand for nearly a minute before she needed to sit again. Today, with the help of the rails, the nurse was hoping she had enough energy to take a few steps.

Quinn stood, gripping the rails so hard that her knuckles were turning white. Her balance was still a little off, her legs were definitely shaky, but she was going to do her best for Rachel.

As the nurse instructed, Quinn moved her left foot forward, her face contorting in determination and exertion. She continued on as she moved her right foot forward, her eyes remaining on Rachel each step she took. She ignored the voice of the nurse and focused all of her attention on Rachel.

Before long, Quinn had made it to the end. She stood there, face to face with Rachel. Tears began to form in both of their eyes. This was the first time since they had gotten together that they had been like this. Face to face. The feeling was overwhelming.

“Hi,” Quinn’s voice was watery.

Rachel gave a watery chuckle. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I was promised a kiss.”

Rachel didn’t waste any time before surging forward, pressing her lips against Quinn’s. Quinn had to use all of her strength to keep herself upright, even though Rachel’s lips on hers was making her feel weak.

The kiss didn’t last too long before Quinn had to sit down again Rachel handed over the coffee and the danish, since it was part of the deal. Quinn let out a chuckle before taking a few sips of coffee and eating a few pieces of the danish.

Rachel knelt in front of her, gladly accepting the small piece of pastry that Quinn offered with a chuckle.

“Rachel?”

“Hmm,” Rachel replied, still chewing on the danish.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here...for choosing me.”

Rachel leaned forward so she was eye level with Quinn. “Do you want to know a secret?” Rachel questioned, Quinn nodding waiting for her response. “I don’t think I ever had a choice when it came to you.”

Quinn surged forward again, hastily attaching their lips once again. She didn’t know how she got so lucky, but she couldn’t wait for the day she walked down the aisle with Rachel.


	14. Easter

Quinn sat in the back of the classroom, her pen drumming against her notebook. She was doing her best to keep her attention on the current lesson, but it was proving to be difficult. The allure of functions could not compete with Rachel Berry, who happened to be sitting a few rows ahead of her. She managed to focus her attention on the teacher for nearly 20 minutes before her eyes sought out Rachel.

“Listen Q, if I have to sit next to you, can you at least keep your leering to a minimum? It’s making me nauseous.”

She peeled her eyes away from Rachel to glare at the Latina next to her. “Please Santana, like I didn’t have to sit through you leering at Brittany from freshman through junior year. This is all just payback.”

“Look Quinn, if you keep staring at Berry like that, you are going to burn holes into the back of her head.”

Quinn rolled her eyes and looked away from the raven haired girl and back to the front of the room. She watched as the teacher graphed a few of the functions from the textbook, drawing them in her own notebook, before putting her pen down. Her attention was completely lost at this point. She would just copy the notes from Rachel later, who she was sure had them all written down and colour coded.

At the thought of Rachel, she moved her gaze back over to the girl, only to see the brunette looking back at her over her shoulder. Even after all this time, Quinn felt a blush tinge her cheeks. Maybe it was more the fact that she looked like a complete creeper that made her blush or the fact that Rachel looked really adorable today. Either way, she didn’t hide her face. It was worth it to see Rachel’s smile.

The bell rang and everyone began packing up their things and rushing out the door. Quinn didn’t blame them either. No person in their right mind would willingly stay after math. These days, however, she was usually the last one out. Well, other than Rachel who always patiently waited for Quinn to gather her things before walking out with her.

“You know, you really should be careful with your leering,” Rachel smirked as she made her way over to the blonde.

“You’re starting to sound like Santana.”

“Oh god, please don’t say that.”

Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle at the worried look on Rachel’s face. They may have acted like they hated each other, but Quinn knew Santana had a soft spot for the starlet and vice versa.

The blonde was almost done gathering her things when a note was slipped onto her desk.

“Rachel, what is this?”

“Just open it.”

Quinn turned the note in her hands. Rachel had decorated the piece of paper with glitter, ribbon and various colours of paper. The blonde smiled at how adorable it was. Her name was scrawled across the front in neat, gold calligraphy, surrounded by purple ribbon.

“Rachel this is adorable.”

“Please just open it and save me from the embarrassment,” Rachel’s cheeks and tips of her ears were bright red. Quinn couldn’t help but reach for her hand and place a soft kiss on her knuckles.

She then let go of the girl’s hand and opened up the letter to read what was inside.

_Quinn Fabray,_

_You are cordially invited to attend the Berry Easter Dinner Extravaganza._

_You and a guest (your mom) are invited to join us in an elaborate feast._

_(Yes this means I will allow you to eat turkey without complaining. Though there will be a delicious tofurkey to eat if you would prefer)._

_And since it is a holiday, I will still let you kiss me after you eat said turkey._

_Here’s hoping you will join us._

_Love, Rachel xoxo_

“Is it too much?”

“Baby this is too cute,” Quinn smiled up at the brunette.

“So is that a yes then?”

“Of course, but babe, Easter was weeks ago. Why are we celebrating it now?”

“Well with everything that was going on with you getting out of the hospital and with all of your appointments, we kind of missed it all together. My family also doesn’t usually partake in this particular holiday, but I wanted to do something special for you. Not only because we all need a little holiday, but also to celebrate your amazing progress.”

It was true that Quinn had made a lot of progress these past few weeks. She still needed her wheelchair most of the time, but she had graduated to walking with crutches. She could stand and walk around with them for nearly half an hour before she needed to rest. This is why for school she just stayed in her chair. She was making incredible strides as Rachel said, but she still had some road to travel until she was back to her old self.

As for the holidays, it had completely slipped her mind. After her dad left, Quinn and her mom never really bothered with holidays anymore. Holidays used to be about playing perfect family in front of her father’s clients or in front of extended family. Holidays usually involved a lot of alcohol and usually ended in a fight or two after their guests had gone. So when her dad left, they never really bothered with them anymore. Holidays just brought bad memories, and it was also incredibly sad when only two people were celebrating. They made a few exceptions like Christmas, but never really bothered beyond that. It was easier to try and ignore that they were happening than trying to force conversation and cook a pathetic meal for two. And with her mom trying to quit drinking, it was best to avoid depressing situations to avoid triggering her.

But Rachel had made a personal invitation for Quinn to celebrate a holiday that she didn’t believe in just to make the blonde feel better. And while she was hoping to skim by Easter with no problem, she wouldn’t let Rachel down. Quinn had a feeling this holiday would be different. It wouldn’t be her and her mother sitting on opposite ends of the table trying to hold conversation and not think of the past. She would be surrounded by the people she loved the most. And it would be the first holiday that she and Rachel would have shared together.

“I think that’s an amazing idea, Rach. Thank you, I really needed this,” tears had unknowingly welled up in Quinn’s eyes.

“I think we all really need this,” Rachel placed a soft kiss to Quinn’s lips. “Besides, it will be our first holiday together officially,” she beamed.

“You are such a dork.”

“I made be a dork, but you still love me.”

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Quinn smiled.

“This is impossible!” Quinn growled.

She was riffling through her closet trying to find the perfect thing to wear to dinner. And while she knew Rachel wouldn’t really care, it still mattered to her. She was used to having to make impressions. And while she had spent most of her weekends at the Berrys, she still felt like this dinner was more official. This was their first holiday together and she didn’t want to screw it up.

“Did a tornado rip through your room of is this your idea of redecorating?”

“Mom, not now,” Quinn whined from the closet.

“What are you even doing?” Judy asked as she weaved around the piles of clothes to walk towards Quinn’s closet.

“I’m trying to figure out what to wear to this stupid dinner and I can’t find anything,” she replied, throwing another dress to the floor. “Ugh, do you think we have time to go shopping before we go? No, scratch that, I don’t feel like dealing with bratty retail workers working for their commission telling me how great I look while pitying me.”

“Woah, where is all this animosity coming from?”

Quinn sighed, dropping her face in her hands. “I don’t know,” she mumbled into her palms.

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“Not really.”

“Well, too bad because you are going to hear it anyways.”

Judy walked around Quinn and found the small stool that was in the walk-in closet. She placed the stool in front of Quinn and sat down, forcing the younger blonde to look up from her palms and pay attention to her.

“I think you are thinking too hard about this. This is Rachel we’re talking about here. This is the girl who stayed beside your bedside for weeks. She’s seen you at your lowest of lows and your highest of highs. I don’t think a dress is really going to matter, sweetheart. All she cares about is you. She just wants you to be there and have a good time.”

“I know. I know all that, I do. But it just feels really real tonight, you know? Like one mistake will somehow ruin it. Like I am not going to wear the right thing or know what to say. This dinner feels like a test.”

“It’s not a test, honey. And all those Berrys are wrapped around your finger, believe me. And you’ve been there and had dinner there a million times, so why is this different?”

“Because this is our first holiday together and it feels really serious. And, you know, holidays never really work out for Fabrays.”

Judy felt her throat constrict at Quinn’s admission. She fought hard to hold back the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. She knew that Quinn never really favoured the holidays, and she was partially to blame for that. Though she was never as bad as Russell, and she is far from the person she used to be, it still pained her to know she hurt her daughter like that. However, she wanted this year to be different for both of them. After months of sobriety and being separated from Russell, she was determined to make holidays different for them. They were going to turn over a new leaf.

“This year will be different, I promise.”

Quinn gave a weak smile and Judy returned it. And though it seemed like they would never get rid of the dark cloud that surrounded the holidays, Quinn was willing to try with her mother. It was a new year and they were both changed people.

Judy stood up and looked around the closet at the few remaining dress that still managed to hang there.

“I’d go for the yellow. It’s a very spring colour. And maybe that white cardigan.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Quinn smiled.

“Do you want help getting ready or-?”

“I can do it, but thanks.”

Judy smiled and placed a kiss to Quinn’s forehead before making her way out of the closet.

“Hey mom?”

Judy turned to look a Quinn.

“Thanks.”

“For what exactly?”

“For being there for me and not giving up. For trying your hardest to be everything that dad could never be. Just thanks.”

Judy nodded, afraid that if she spoke she would start crying. It seemed that Quinn understood and just returned her mother’s smile. And with that, Judy turned on her heel and headed out of the room, tears now falling freely after she crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her.

Rachel paced nervously around the living room while her parents both sat comfortably on the couch. They did their best to try and watch the TV as Rachel crossed back and forth in front of it. After craning their heads around a nervous Rachel enough times, they decided to talk to the young girl.

“Honey, if you keep pacing like that, you are going to put a hole in the hardwood.”

“And this flooring was hard to find, sweetpea,” Hiram added.

“I know. I’m sorry it’s just that I am really nervous.”

“You’re nervous? We couldn’t tell,” Leroy voiced sarcastically.

“Not helping right now, dad.”

“Sorry, honey. What can I do to help you then?”

“Do we have the turkey? Do we have the tofurkey? Do we have enough food, or should I go out? Are you really going to wear that shirt dad? I really don’t think it suits your skin tone.”

“Okay, slow your roll kiddo. First of all, we have all the food and we have plenty for everyone. Second, I picked out that shirt and I think your dad looks quite handsome,” Hiram smiled at his husband.

“Sorry dad, just ignore me.”

“Will do,” Leroy smiled.

Rachel signed and sat down on the couch with her fathers. She didn’t know why she was acting like this. She knew it was just Quinn and it was just dinner, something that they both had done a million times over, but this somehow felt different. She didn’t know why she was so nervous all of the sudden to see her girlfriend.

“Honey, what is going on with you?” Hiram asked.

“I don’t know. I know it’s just Quinn and it’s just dinner, but it just feels really real, you know?”

“Do you want us to reschedule?”

“No, that’s not the problem. I want Quinn here. I’m just being weird.”

“First holidays will do that to you,” Leroy smiled.

“So this is normal?”

“Rachel, of course it’s normal to be nervous. Even after years I was still nervous to bring your father home for Thanksgiving dinner. Holidays are when you are surrounded by food and family. You usually only spend holidays with the most important people in your life, so sometimes it can be scary. But once she walks through that door, you will be okay. I know it,” Hiram smiled, kissing Rachel’s forehead.

“Thanks daddy. You always know what to say.”

“It’s my job. Also it stops you from putting a hole in my floor.”

Her mom helped her out of the car and into her chair. She had finally gotten over her freak out episode and got ready. She placed the dessert that they had brought in her lap and wheeled her way over to her mom. Judy grabbed her crutches from the back seat and attached them to the back of her wheelchair. Quinn had been working and hoped she could use them more today.

“Are we finally ready?” Judy asked.

“Of course,” Quinn smiled, making her way towards the Berrys’ front door.

It wasn’t too long until Leroy had opened the door, welcoming both Quinn and Judy. He took the dessert that was in Quinn’s lap and handed it off to Hiram to put in the kitchen. Leroy stepped out to help Quinn over the threshold and into their house. When she was finally inside, she caught a glimpse of Rachel standing at the end of the hallway.

“Why don’t we leave these two lovebirds alone? I believe there is some wonderful apple cider in the kitchen with our names on it.”

Judy accepted the invitation, smiling at Rachel and Quinn as she passed through the opening into the kitchen.

“Hi,” Rachel said nervously from the end of the hall.

“Hi,” Quinn chuckled.

Rachel walked the hall slowly, her smile widening with each step. Quinn felt a smile widening on her own lips, Rachel’s happiness being infectious. The worries that both girls seemed to have seemed to vanish with every step Rachel took.

Rachel sat in Quinn’s lap, her arms wrapping around Quinn’s neck and her fingers tangling in the short, blonde locks.

“Mmph-”

Quinn attempted to speak but was quickly cut off by Rachel’s lips. Quinn drew a sharp breath through her nose as she deepened the kiss. The kiss was needy and heated. Quinn could feel a moan rise in the back of her throat at the feeling of Rachel’s lips pressed firmly to her own.

Rachel pulled back, only for a moment, before taking Quinn’s bottom lip and sucking on it. The moan that came from Quinn ran through every nerve in Rachel’s body and went directly to her core. She then took Quinn top lip and sucked on it, emitting more delicious sounds from her girlfriend. She was throbbing now, painfully so, and she wanted to do nothing more than to take Quinn upstairs and ignore dinner all together.

Rachel pulled back, both girls now panting. A lazy smile stretched across Rachel’s lips and Quinn mimicked it.

“I think that is the best hello I’ve ever had,” Quinn beamed

“Sorry, you looked so good. I couldn’t help myself,” Rachel smirked.

“Oh please, continue. There is no objection here.”

Rachel giggled as Quinn’s lips found Rachel’s jaw. She began trailing kisses along the brunette’s jaw line, making her way towards the girl’s collar bone. Quinn ran her tongue across Rachel’s skin, making the girl shiver, before sucking on the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

“Mmm, if you keep doing that, I am not sure I will able to last through dinner.”

“Well we could go upstairs and skip dinner all together,” Quinn said against the shell of her ear before gently sucking on the brunette’s earlobe.

“As tempting as that sounds, I believe our absence would be noticed at the table.”

“You think?” Quinn joked.

“Maybe a little,” Rachel replied before lightly kissing Quinn’s lips.

“How about a rain check then?” Quinn kissed the corner of Rachel’s lips. “Maybe we can continue this after dinner?” Quinn placed a kiss to Rachel’s lips.

Rachel smiled against her lips, loving this flirtatious Quinn that she hadn’t seen in awhile. She pulled back before replying. “Maybe if you play your cards right Fabray.”

Rachel placed a quick peck to the blonde’s lips before standing up and fixing her dress. She was wearing a strapless, black dress that was cut just above the knee. It was simple, but Quinn loved the way it looked on the girl.

“You look beautiful by the way, babe.”

“Thank you,” Rachel blushed. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

It was Quinn’s turn to blush, still not used to the compliments Rachel gave her or the way she looked at her. She still never understood how she got to this point.

“Now how about you make yourself useful and help me make some dessert,” Rachel said as she started walking down the hall towards the kitchen.

“I thought you were my dessert?” Quinn smirked as Rachel threw a mockingly offended look over her shoulder.

“Come on and help me already you dork.”

Quinn had finally abandoned her wheelchair in exchange for her crutches. It may have been more strenuous for her to use them, but she loved the feeling of being able to move again, even if it was aided. It made her feel like she was finally getting somewhere and it gave her the knowledge that she would be okay again. She would one day be the girl she used to be. She may not be ready to do back flips or cartwheels any time soon, but it was a start.

She did her best to help Rachel around the kitchen, but it was difficult to use the crutched while also trying to help Rachel with the vegan dessert she was making. Finally giving up, she just made it a mission to distract Rachel as much as possible while she was cooking.

Rachel was at the counter preparing some of the ingredients as Quinn came up behind her, nuzzling into Rachel’s neck.

“Babe if you keep distracting me I will never get this done.”

“You can skip dessert. You have me,” Quinn softly said into Rachel’s ear, aware of the parents in the room.

“As nice as that sounds, a girl needs her dessert,” Rachel replied, turning to place a kiss on Quinn’s lips.

“You know Quinn, we have a full meal preparing over here. There is no need to eat my daughter,” Leroy casually said over the island.

Quinn backed up so fast that she almost lost her balance. Rachel tried to hide the laugh that threatened to erupt from her mouth. Quinn placed a few feet between herself and Rachel, her face burning in embarrassment.

“Yes, a mother can know you are in a relationship without seeing you maul each other with your mouths.”

“Mom, please stop talking. So not helping right now,” the three parents laughed as Quinn’s cheeks seemed to get impossibly red.

“Well, why don’t you two put your mouths to better use and come join us for dinner?”

Both girls looked at their parents shyly, both of their cheeks tinged red now. They slowly stepped away from the kitchen and made their way towards the dining room to sit for dinner.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to make a toast,” Hiram called from the end of the table.

“Oh no, not one of daddy’s speeches,” Rachel hid her face in her hands as Hiram stood.

“Now being a Jewish man, I do not happen to celebrate this holiday. However, this holiday is not about religion or any of the other celebration tied in with this holiday. This holiday is about families coming together, no matter the differences, to celebrate in love and success. To celebrate the joining of the Fabrays and the Berrys and to celebrate the positives, as well as let go of the negatives.”

Quinn reached over and grabbed Rachel’s hand, giving a light squeeze. Rachel turned and gave her girlfriend a small smile, which Quinn returned.

“I don’t think there is a different group of people that I would rather be spending the day with. Cheers everyone!”

“Cheers!” Everyone cheered, clinking their glasses before taking a sip.

Quinn looked around the table as everyone began their meals while diving into conversation. If you had asked Quinn a few months ago if she liked the holidays, she would have said no. She would have listed the reasons on why she hated the holidays, spending time with the family being at the top of said list. But being here, surrounded by a loving family and her beautiful girlfriend, she couldn’t imagine a better day.

“Hey, you okay? You look a little spaced out babe.” Rachel asked from beside her.

“Yeah, I’m great. I’ve never been better actually.”

 

 


End file.
